League of Legends: Welcome to Runeterra
by Airavice
Summary: Landing on the edge of the continent of Ionia, Kaldur is a man from another world, one who has no idea how he got there or why. With the aid of his recently acquired companion, Ahri, Kaldur must learn to survive in a place he knows nothing of, as well as figure out a way back home. Can he survive his abrupt entrance to this new world full of magic and wonder? Welcome to Runeterra.
1. Prologue

League of Legends Prologue

It was night in the midst of the Shadow Isles, and yet one cannot always tell when day arrives. The island nation was once a paradise for all who came, as it was the pinnacle to magical and technological advancement. Here was a land of dreams, and as the cities expanded, overtaking the island, so did the ambition of those who resided within it. It didn't take much; only an experiment to go wrong and men to hold on to their pride. With that the island was transformed into a ruined wasteland. People left the isles, and all that was left were ruins of an ancient civilization. Over the years nature fought back to take what was destroyed, but it was never the same as nature itself fell to the corruption at the islands core. Here was now a world enveloped in an endless mist, with crooked trees and underbrush sailing higher than birds flew, and no wildlife in site. As the remains of the old world lay scattered across the island, it invites many who are daring, and many who are monsters. It was here that one such daring individual would seek what lay in the depths of the isles past.

Ezreal knelt above the long drop and peered over the edge carefully, surveying his surroundings. From what he could tell the drop was nearly two hundred feet down, and the end was nowhere in sight. The trees that surrounded the large hole in the ground were tall and thick, each covering the background from view. In between them, mist and fog poured out and into the deep abyss.

In that hole was a treasure, one beyond reckoning. Rumors of it had only started a few months ago, and it was of something that people had only just heard of. The problem was that the artifact was supposedly located in the heart of the Shadow Isles, the most dangerous place in all of Runeterra.

Ezreal grinned as he remembered his own excitement at the news, and the challenge that it presented. He lived for these rumors, the adventure, the thrill, was all part of who he was. As well as the mystery at the end to be discovered.

Turning around, Ezreal wrapped the long rope he had brought with him around the tree near him and carefully prepped himself to fall into the dark abyss below him.

Leaning over the edge, Ezreal dropped the first few feet and bounded off the walls till he could keep lowing himself in a steady fashion. The farther he went, the darker it got, and in turn the worse it was for Ezreal to see what was below him.

Almost as if by design, his gauntlet, which hung on to his left arm, began to glow a light blue. The radiance emanated from the crystal embedded in the top of the gauntlet. As the darkness seemed to increase, so did the glow from his gauntlet, allowing Ezreal to see all around him.

The pit kept going.

Ezreal grimaced as he looked down. He still couldn't see the bottom and he was nearly at the edge of his rope, literally. Dropping farther and farther, Ezreal noticed that he could not see the top anymore. By the time he hit the edge of his rope, there was only pitch black around him.

Ezreal hung there for a moment, and grabbed a small coin out of his pocket and dropped it below him, listening.

For a few seconds, he heard nothing till…

"clang."

The light repeating clash of metal on rock echoed below him, telling him there was ground.

With a light smirk on his face, Ezreal let go of the rope and fell to the floor. With a loud thud, his feet met the floor. It was very wet down here, but as far as he could tell the ground was unusually flat.

Pouring power into his glove Ezreal raised it above his head and allowed the glow to fill the room. The light shown upon a massively elaborate hall, decorated with plumes of innate carvings and sculptures that passed the sides of the walls. The hallway was easily fifty feet high and just as wide, allowing for clear and unhindered passage to the far unseen end. A sense of curiosity overwhelmed Ezreal as he saw the magnificent passage, and many questions burned within his mind.

Taking his first steps he walked forward through the walkway, observing all as he went. The pattern changed as he went. Initially the pattern of statues showed mighty warriors of times long past, then as the hallway began to draw to a close, the men began to look weaker before at last the men before the doors were people screaming in pain.

The hallways end was made of a set of double doors embroidered in runic seals that glowed with a slight green emanation upon it, which meant the door was locked.

Ezreal sighed, a locked door was something that always bothered him. It meant that there was always something behind the door and he wanted to know.

Placing his gloved hand on the door Ezreal began to examine the door. The runes were made as a strong sealing spell, allowing no entry in, or out, of the door itself; but there was always a way around them and Ezreal knew how.

Power began to fill his glove and he started to trace the runes in cross sections, allowing a new rune to form over the first. After a few minutes Ezreal retracted his hand and looked at his work. The rune he drew crossed the sealing ward in municipal patterns and a slight blue glow reached them. Watching his work he noticed that the doors rune began to glow brighter and brighter, lighting the hallway far more than his gauntlet. As the glow began to hurt his eyes the light flashed and the emanation was gone.

Both wards on the door had stopped glowing, in fact Ezreals ward was no longer there. The short circuit had worked.

Eager, Ezreal ran to the door and shoved it open stepping into a vaulted area. The room that he had entered was large to say the least. The ceiling was just as high as it was in the hall, and a thin long bridge stretched to the middle of it over a vast, and deep, chasm. In front of him, across the bridge, was a small pedestal on which hovered a crystalline rock. The room itself was dark with all but his gauntlet illuminating the path ahead of him.

Taking a deep breath, Ezreal approached the strange rock with vigor but airing on the side of caution. As he came closer, the stone began to emanate a small amount of light itself. There was something familiar about it but he couldn't put his finger on it. The stone was shaped like that of a cut diamond if the pointed end was rounded off. On the top of the stone was drawn a strange rune that Ezreal had not seen before and the object swirled with almost physical manifestations of purple and blue light.

Standing before it Ezreal seemed to be drawn to it, as though it wanted him to touch it.

Slowly he reached out his hand.

"STOP!"

Ezreal spun around. Behind him stood a strange man. The occupant had violet skin that contained strange tattooed markings encompassing it. He was bald on top and wore no shirt, with a long, braided, beard that frayed from his jaw. The pants he wore were that of a dessert dweller and he had no shoes on. On his back the man contained a small canister that was connected to a sling that wrapped around him from his left shoulder. A hint of recognition sparked Ezreals mind.

"Ryze, correct?" he asked.

"Do not touch that. You could not handle power it emanates." The man replied.

Ezreal focused on the man. "There are a lot of things that many have said I can't handle, but I have them anyway. What makes this any different?"

Ryze sighed and looked straight into Ezreals eyes.

"That there is a World Rune. If you touch that your mind may not remain your own."

The reply seemed sincere, which through Ezreal a little off.

"I can handle myself." He replied, gritting his teeth.

Ryze shook his head. "You cannot handle that. Hand it here." The man held out his hand.

Ezreals anger began to take hold of him. "You just want it for yourself! If it is so dangerous then I should be the one to take it. I can give it to the university in Piltover and there it can be in better hands."

"Your motives are not malicious young man," Ryze responded "but that rune is best put where no one will ever find it."

"And I suppose you would be the one to do that!?" Ezreals anger erupted from his voice.

Ryze lowered his hand and stared into Ezreals face with a look of sadness on his. "I do what I must, I do not have the power that is imagined of me. I only have the strength I need to walk away from such power. Can you say the same of yourself, or of all of Runeterra?"

Ezreals anger began to fade as the man before him seemed to keep sincerity in his words.

"You give people too little credit." Ezreal responded.

"Perhaps … perhaps not. The fact still remains that the rune is better off hidden away."

The two men stood where they were, looking at each other.

"Well isn't this a party." The voice echoed through the room and the halls, seeming to come from the shadows and with a female grace that seemed poisonous.

The two men stopped looking at each other and scanned the area around them, trying to find the source of the voice. Ezreal felt a pang of uneasiness in his stomach.

"Two men, bickering over their catch. All the while on _my_ island, in _my_ domain, and they didn't invite me."

Ezreal dived forward just in time to avoid the creature that almost landed on him and spun around to see a giant black and red spider that was standing where he just stood.

"Awww." The voice came from the creature. "Did I scare you little boy?"

The spider's figure began to shift in front of him, almost too fast for his eye to catch and he looked now at a young and voluptuous woman with the eyes of a predator. The woman stood at least six feet high and while her face and accessories seemed human, her body was covered with abnormalities that represented a spiders appendages and skin. Like her other form the woman seemed to color herself in red and black.

"You should fire your clothing artist." He commented, keeping the fear out of his voice.

"Oh, so we have a comedian with us." She hissed. "I wonder if you can make me laugh as I drain the life from you."

The woman began to walk backwards towards stone and its pedestal all the while keeping an eye on the two men in front of her.

"Such effort over a small little thing." She began. "I wonder what secrets it holds." She paused to take a small glance at the relic. "But then again I am not here for those secrets."

The flash of power came before Ezreal could even register it.

In front of him the woman became surrounded by a violet chain of magic that encircled her and resembled a cage.

"Why you…!" She cried.

"Young man. Is that the gauntlet of Ne'Zuk?" Called Ryze from behind him.

Ezreal aimed his eyes at the old man. "How did you…?"

"The gauntlet will protect you from the rune just enough to get it to me. Bring it here while I hold her, otherwise it may fall into less trusting hands."

Ezreal looked back at the rune and realized the seriousness of the situation. While he still did not trust Ryze, he would rather it be with the two of them, where they could bicker about it later, than it be with the spider woman in front of him. Quickly he moved forward and used his gloved hand to grab hold of the rune.

Ezreal had never felt so much power before in his life. As he held the stone, it called to him and threatened to envelop him at the same time. He was very tempted to listen, everything he desired seemed at his beck and call … his parents.

"Young man bring it back quickly."

Ezreal snapped from within his mind and brought himself back to reality. Taking a one-eighty he marched across the bridge and met up with Ryze.

"We must leave. Time is not on our side."

With that Ryze and himself left through the door, all the while the spider woman screaming behind them. However, just as they entered the hallway, the ground began to shake and the room began to heat up.

"Just me or is the room getting a tad warm?" Ezreal asked.

Ryze's eyes grew wide. "Brand, he followed me."

Just then the ceiling before them opened up revealing a molten hole in front of them and a man who looked like molten lava appeared through it.

"Fancy seeing you here Ryze." Called Brand.

Ryze didn't even hesitate as the tattoos on his body glowed and he erupted a beam of magic at the approaching foe. Ezreal in turn aimed his gauntlet at Brand and fired an energy pulse, striking him in the side.

Brand shot to the left, encircling the two combatants and melting the ancient hallway along the way. Fire came from his hands in waves as he shot upon the two men who faced him. Ezreal instantly thought of an area farther down the hallway and with a small blink he was instantly farther from the combat. Raising his gauntlet he erupted a small barrage of energy pulses from it, striking Brand in the back and sending him into the wall near the door. Ryze took that as an opportunity and ran too meet up with him.

Just as he came around the door swing open on melted hinges and the spider woman entered, a sea of similar creatures at her feat and charging towards where they stood. Ezreal took one look at Ryze and the two of them turned towards the other end of the hallway and ran. As they met up with the wall where his rope was dangling up in the air, Ezreal pulled out a small device and began to hook it to the rope.

A massive amount of heat struck Ezreal as the cave above him lit up with flames and searing his rope into nonexistence. Ezreal turned back to see the spider woman and Brand catching up to them.

"I can get us out of here." Stated Ryze. "But I need some time."

Ezreal looked at the two members gaining upon them and nodded his head. "You got it."

Raising his arm up to point at the intruders he began charging power into it. The gauntlet glowed brighter as it powered up, on its sides began to form long streams of energy in the shape of a bow. With a last push of energy, Ezreal let loose the power and an arc of yellow light shot forward towards his enemies. The light struck the spider woman and Brand with tremendous force, stopping them in their tracks as they clutched their stomachs in pain. Just as it did so, the light from his gauntlet began to fade but in turn, a light surrounding him and Ryze grew. Before he knew it, they were outside the cavern and in the density of the forest that inhabited much of the Shadow Isles.

"That was close." Commented Ezreal.

"I will be taking that now." Ryze held out his hand.

With all that had happened Ezreal hadn't even noticed that the rune was still in his hand. He brought it up to his face and took another good look at it. The rune still swirled with power, and now that he got a better view of it there was not only blue and violet colors surrounding it but black as well. Something about it didn't sit right with him about it, and now that he knew what it could do, he didn't want anything like it to effect other members in his home city.

"If I give this to you two things are going to happen." He looked up at Ryze, who in turned raised an eyebrow.

"First, you will let me know if you need help for anything like this again. I love the adventure and you seem to have a lot of it."

Ryze's eyebrow dropped and he nodded his head. "Perhaps in the future."

"Second, you will take me to where you will hide this. I want to know that it will be well hidden and while I don't distrust you, I would rather that if anything were to happen to it, I would know where to go."

A dark shadow fell over Ryze's face. "No."

"Then you are going to have to fight me for it, and I rather that not happen."

Ryze's tattoos began to glow as Ezreal finished his comment.

"Before you blast me away, consider the scenario that you may fail."

The glowing receded.

Ezreal pressed on. "If you fail than there is no one else to hide these away. I at least can hold them without issues, that should allow me to help here."

Ryze seemed to be chewing on the thought for a good while before he nodded his head to respond.

"Agreed." With that he held out his hand.

Satisfied Ezreal passed it to him.

The moment it touched Ryze's hand a sharp blast of energy erupted from the stone and he dropped it too the floor.

"Somethings wrong." Ryze looked panicked. "The world rune has void energy in it and … something else. This shouldn't exist."

Ezreal looked back to the rune that had now landed still on the branch infested ground. The emanation of light, which had only recently been a light flicker, was now fiercely shining on the two of them, and increasing its intensity. Ezreal reached forward and grabbed the shocked Ryze by the wrist and dove for cover behind a few trees.

A flash of light shook the ground causing the trees to creak around them. It only lasted for a moment but it was just enough to cause Ezreals head to swim. When he finally got his bearings he realized that the two of them were lying on the floor.

Quickly Ryze and himself stood up and looked around the tree trunk to catch a look at the rune.

It wasn't there. What stood in its place was nothing more than a man in strange clothing. He stood about five feet ten inches with short sandy blond hair and pale skin. With blue eyes and a thin complexion, he seemed to embody the simple pretty boy image.

"Where…?" The man began, but before he could finish another sudden sharp light erupted from the mans body.

Ezreal and Ryze covered their eyes, and when the light vanished so too had the strange man and the World Rune.

Ezreal looked at Ryze. "What now?"

Ryze took a deep breath and waited a good moment before responding. "I do not know."


	2. The Injured Fox

Chapter 1: The Injured Fox

Nothing made sense. From what Kaldur could understand, just a moment ago he was sitting in his room playing a game and drinking his favorite brand of Jen and Sons. The last thing he could remember was watching the loading screen take forever and thinking about how his life sucked. The next thing he knew he was standing in a creepy forest with a purple skinned man and a young boy staring at him from behind tree. Now he stood in another forested area, but to his left was a clearing of rolling hills, and behind it stood a mountain that was larger than most he had seen in his home town. Around him, small creatures fluttered about and the trees themselves seemed to sparkle with small gems of assorted colors.

A sharp snap behind him shook Kaldur from his daze, and he twisted around to get a glimpse of the noise's cause; but before he could get a good look a sharp force knocked him to the ground. Hitting his head on the floor he lay there dazed, trying to clear his blurry vision. Kaldur tried to get up but he couldn't move, something was holding him down and he couldn't see it. As if in a trance he finally heard it, the voice of his assailant; it was the voice of a woman.

"I am sorry. I need this." Apologized the voice. There was something sad about her, but Kaldur could not put his finger on it.

Slowly Kaldur began to calm down, his anger and frustration faded away and he quietly felt at peace and a little happy, though he wasn't sure why. As his emotions rose, so did his vision and he was clearly able to make out the bruised and bloodied face of a woman. She had pale skin and glowing yellow eyes. Her hair was raven black and her cheeks seemed to have stripes painted on them in sets of three on either side. She had an elegant shape to her face and lips that were full and luscious but what really was noticeable about her was the two fox-like black ears the protruded from the top of her head. One word sparked from his mind in that moment: beautiful.

As he stared at the woman in wonder her eyes began to change colors to a violet pink and she began to lean down towards his face, inching ever closer.

"Don't." He called. Kaldur wasn't sure why he said it, everything in his body kept saying that what this woman was doing was a good thing, but something felt off and he couldn't identify it.

The woman stopped and stared at him, her eyes wide with curiosity. As she did Kaldur began to feel his original emotions again, fear, anger, and frustration. Slowly he began to struggle and push against the young woman.

"Get off me!" He yelled. The woman looked shocked and backed off just enough to allow for Kaldur to sit up straight.

"What the hell lady!" He yelled, allowing his anger to rise in his voice. By now the woman had backed off and was standing near a tree eyeing him with a massive amount of curiosity.

Slowly Kaldur calmed down, allowing himself to regain his composure. "At least buy me dinner first."

Kaldur stood up and looked over the woman once more, she was about his height and wore an odd red and white dress with disconnected arm pieces. Near the bottom of what he could only assume was a skirt, were two gemstones on two matching lapels. She wore small sandals with white tall stockings and had a fluffy tail that trailed behind her. In the center of her dress, connected between her two breasts was an odd string that dangled connected by a type of bell, then a butterfly knot, and finally a long sash with gold trimmings that dangled to her knees.

"So… you going to a furry convention or something?" He asked, breaking the silence that seemed to stretch.

"You were able to resist." The woman responded.

"Excuse me?"

"No one has done that before." She claimed as she moved towards him.

Kaldur was too confused to know what to do. "Woah, woah! Hold on. Back up. First of all, I have questions and I would appreciate it if you answered them."

It had just occurred to him that this woman had tried to do something to him, and while he wasn't quite sure what it was he didn't feel that it was a good thing either; but he needed answers.

"First where the hell am I." He asked.

The woman replied almost immediately. "Ionia."

"I don't know where that is." He commented.

"To the north east of Valoran and Noxus." She seemed to be quite pleased with her answer.

Kaldur was more confused than ever. "Ok, skip that. Who are you? Know what? Better yet, why did you tackle me to the ground?"

The woman flashed a small smile at him. "My name is Ahri. I am in need of your memories."

This was making less and less sense by the minute, but he had a name.

"Ahri… nice name."

She smiled in response.

"As for my memories, whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, they belong to me and I would really appreciate it if you didn't take them."

The smile from Ahri seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye and she glared at him with the gaze of a predator. As if on cue, a small noise began to emanate through the forest. At first Kaldur couldn't recognize it, but as it came closer the sounds of shouting men could be heard. Ahri's ears twitched and a hint of desperation clawed at her eyes.

"Please. I need them." She pleaded. For the first time, Kaldur could see panic cross her face.

Kaldur covered his face with his hands. "Will I get my memories back?" He asked.

Ahri hesitated for a moment. "No." She finally responded.

"What do they do for you?"

"They give me power."

Nothing made sense here, he couldn't just give up his memories, that seemed preposterous. But if the woman was in danger than he might be as well. The men could be dangerous, but maybe only to the woman in front of him. The question was if could take that chance. Too many options presented themselves here, and he couldn't think of a single good outcome. Kaldur wracked his brain for a solution when one finally presented itself.

"If you do this, I want you to promise me something."

Ahri looked from him to the approaching voices. "Yes, anything." She hurried.

"I need you to be my guide for as long as I am in this world. I don't know where I am and I don't know how to get home. Promise me that you will help me for as long as I need you."

"Deal." She called and closed the distance between them in a blink.

The sensation was just as he remembered it. The feelings of fear and dread were removed from him and all he could feel now was happiness unlike he had ever felt before. A large grin appeared on his face. And just as quickly as it had appeared, the feeling had left and he was now lying on the floor with a feeling of confusion.

Moments went by without any way to tell the time. Kaldur heard screaming in the distance, a few yells, and then dead silence. It took a bit for him to stand up but once he did he looked around to see Ahri standing near a group of dead men, all holding primitive weapons and dressed in a form of silk and cotton. Blood was spattered across the ground and markings of it bore on the trees, Ahri was the only thing that was untouched. upon closer inspection Kaldur noticed that her injuries were gone from before, and she stood there with more vitality and beauty than she had before, with nine tails spread around behind her instead of the one he had seen prior to. For some reason the gore did not disturb Kaldur in the least, it was only in this moment that he actually felt excited believing that his life was changing for the better.

Still sitting there, Kaldur watched as Ahri began to walk towards him and then right past him as if he didn't exist.

"Woah hold up." He called. "Did you already forget that you promised me something"

Ahri stopped for a moment and then turned around to look at him; a look of utter shock marked her face.

"How…?" She began. "I took that memory from you."

Kaldur put the pieces together. "Well then. Looks like I have a natural immunity to your abilities." He called, feeling a slight amount of smugness emanate from his voice.

"So. You were going to break a promise." Kaldur stated. "A young man, lost and alone in the woods, and you were just going to take his memories and walk away despite the agreement you made."

Ahri looked down with guilt written on her face. "I didn't…"

"Of course, you did!" Kaldur interrupted, anger now seething on his face. "You were just going to leave me here with my memories long gone. I wouldn't even know what to do at all then! It just so happens that I was lucky but that isn't always going to save my ass!"

Ahri flinched as he yelled. Kaldur looked once again at her face and saw the guilt that plagued her. He closed his eyes, covered them with his hands, and turned around.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" He screamed.

The sound echoed through the forest making animals scurry and take flight. Spinning back around Kaldur looked at Ahri through here eyes, each showing a sense of sadness deep behind them.

Taking a deep breath he continued. "Here is what is going to happen. I need a guide, if I don't get one I will likely die. I only see you around so it looks like my answer is made for me. Question is: are you going to still walk off?"

Ahri cocked her head to the side puzzled.

"I almost betrayed you and you want me to guide you?" She asked.

Kaldur felt no real need to make this request but something in him wanted to trust her, whether it was his hormones or his feeling of being lost, he couldn't tell.

"That about sums it up." He remarked.

As if a switch turned on, Ahri regained her air of confidence; all guilt swept away with a simple smile.

"Seems reasonable."

Kaldur nodded and pressed on.

"And so that we can make this a proper arrangement you can drain me for memories when you need them. Seems like it doesn't harm me in any way and it keeps you healed so why not."

Ahri looked like she could jump for joy in this moment, as she did she walked over to him but Kaldur put up his finger and glared straight into her eyes.

"But ONLY when you NEED to." He commented.

"Deal." She called without any hesitation.

Kaldur held out his hand to her, and Ahri looked at it with confusion.

"My name is Kaldur. Pleasure to do business with you." He flashed a grin.

Ahri looked strangely at the hand still.

Kaldur sighed. "You shake it. This signifies that an agreement has been made."

Ahri reached over and put her hand on top of his, gripped it awkwardly and shook with the enthusiasm of a three-year-old.

This was going to be a crazy adventure.

Nothing was as it seemed in this world. Plant life, as well as animals, were all different here and Kaldur could never make heads or tails of it as he followed Ahri along. In many instances the animals that he thought were harmless were actually violent and could easily kill him, on the other hand there were things in this world that were quite friendly to many who chose to look. From his many questions Kaldur had found that he was in the world known as Runeterra; in it were many different countries one of which was called Ionia, a large island nation off the coast of Valorn, the name of the largest continent. From what he could tell Ionia was a peaceful place that focused many of its efforts on keeping a form of balance within the community. For every amount of good there had to be an equal amount of evil, a philosophy that did not quite strike well with Kaldur but he did not press the issue to Ahri when she explained it.

From what he could tell Ahri seemed to have a plan in mind which involved some form of monastery and a few friends that she could talk to and, hopefully, find answers. In the time it would take to reach their destination, far more than a month by how Ahri had described it, Kaldur had begun what was described as 'the questions of a child.'

"Come on. You can't tell me that you grew up in a hole in the ground. That's just barbaric."

Ahri didn't even turn back. "It's all true. If you didn't want an answer then you shouldn't have asked."

Kaldur shrugged. "I'm a curious individual. Besides, I never expected that Vastaya would live like their kindred. You seem a little more human than animal."

Ahri remained silent for a moment before murmuring to herself. "An animal huh?"

It took a moment before Kaldur realized his mistake. "Sorry."

This time Ahri stopped and turned around. "For?"

Kaldur took a deep sigh. "I am not the most social person."

Ahri laughed. "Are you kidding? You haven't shut up since I met you!"

Kaldurs cheeks began to turn red at the retort. "Just because I talk a lot doesn't mean I am social." He responded. "I have a hard time reading people and their emotions. If someone is upset at me I normally don't catch it. It takes certain situations to allow me to do that. When I talk to someone I don't want to upset them but I do it non-the-less."

Ahri stopped for a moment and looked at him curiously. "You seem to be doing just fine to me."

"Just you wait. One of these days there is going to be a situation where I don't know if everyone in the room hates me, then I'll say something and then they will really hate me."

Ahri shook her head and continued their walk. "If you say so." She resigned.

Kaldur shut up after that for a while, letting the silence, and his frustration, stretch as the walk did. Ionia was a beautiful country with wildlife at every corner and a variety of colors that were more common here than from his land. The place was a community of farmers, monasteries, and rural towns that, for all intents and purposes, ran themselves. The rolling hills that Ahri and himself traveled through had tilled fields and water farms of food that Kaldur had never even dreamed of before today. Moving through them, it didn't take long for Kaldur to figure out that his clothing was attracting all manner of attention from whatever locals they passed by in the fields. As it so happened, many spoke in a language that he couldn't understand which happened to be the native tongue.

"So why do you speak my language when they don't?" he queried.

The night had been a long one and Kaldur had to learn to sleep on the hard dirt floor and eat whatever it was that Ahri had brought back from her little hunt. For him it had been many years since he ever went camping and he didn't remember it being like that.

Ahri didn't even pause in step to look at him when she responded. "I learned them from those whose memories I had taken. Yours just happens to be that of a Noxian."

Kaldur paused for a moment. "The language is called English. Though it may not be called that here." Recalling something he shot another question. "Wait. How did you know to talk to me in another language if you just found me in Ionia?"

"You look like a Noxian, or maybe a Demacian but I know that the common tongue is similar for the two." She replied.

"So…" Before he could get his question out of his mouth Kaldur began to hear the pounding sounds of hooves ahead of him. Taking a look, he could see an animal that he now recognized: an ox. Behind the animal was a wagon that was laden with carts and cargo overlay by a fur trimmed cover. In the drivers seat sat a man with a pointed had that looked a little like a cone, he was quite tan from working in the sun and his beard was speckled with small amounts of grey. He wore thick skinned pants, a wool button shirt, and padded objects tethered to his clothing.

Ahri quickened her pace and called to the traveler in Ionian. The man, nearly falling off his wagon at the first sight of her, adjusted himself and addressed her. The conversation was quite calm normally involving Ahri flashing her most disarming smile and the traveler blushing furiously with a nod of the head, whatever it was about Ahri was getting her way. After a few exchange of objects that Kaldur was not particularly interested in, the traveler lead his ox onward and Ahri came straight back.

"Put this on." She commanded, throwing a type of tunic overshirt at him.

Kaldur looked at the light green shirt in his hands. "What in the world is this?" he asked.

"A tunic. I don't like people looking at us. It will also keep you warm at night."

Kaldur gave her a confused look. "While I admit my clothes are a little odd aren't people also staring at _you_? I mean, you do easily draw the eye and I am not talking about your tails."

Ahri shot him a menacing glare.

"Alright, alright." He sighed. "But I am not removing my other clothes, my shoes are too comfy."

Shrugging away the right to retort Ahri led along the path towards the base of the magnificent mountain and the pass that followed, the quickest way to the Monastery of Hirana.


	3. What's in a Hero

Chapter 2: What's in a Hero

The wind bit at Kaldur from behind his tunic, seeping through the wool and the t-shirt he wore underneath. The mountain pass was a cold place; light amounts of snow covered the floor and the rocky outcroppings hung over his head threatening to fall on his head at the whim of the torrential winds. It wasn't what he had expected going into it and it certainly wasn't going to be an easy trek, but he followed Ahri without complaint.

"If you think this is cold," She commented, her voice piercing through the wind. "Then you are going to hate Freljord if we ever go there."

"Good to know." Kaldur called back, keeping it short as to preserve the heat he had left.

For the last few days Kaldur had felt as useless as one could get. He had only been camping a few times in his life and none of that experience stuck with him over the years. Now he found himself sleeping on the ground, eating whatever it was that Ahri managed to catch, and in desperate need of a shower. It took a lot of fenagling, but he managed to ask Ahri to teach him how to survive in the wilderness. Responding with only a laugh and a quick smile she agreed and began to show him her method of living. It was a little odd to say the least.

In the first couple of days it took him forever to learn how to light a fire properly, much of it blistered his hands and he found himself covering the wound with spare pieces of cloth that hung loosely from his tunic. Finally managing to do that Ahri tried to teach him to hunt, which turned out to be a disaster in and of itself; he was by no means a fox. For the next leg of their journey, prior to reaching the pass, Kaldur tried to hunt every day only to turn up with nothing and an antagonistic smile from his so-called mentor. While his hunting skills were indeed lacking, he managed to be able to cook whatever Ahri caught without burning it. Some animals seemed very similar to the ones from his home, but whenever Ahri brought back a mini-kangaroo with horns he wasn't entirely sure if he should be fascinated or if he should be sick. Fascination seemed to win out.

Nothing, however, disappointed Kaldur more than being unable to keep up with his companion. Here he felt weak and powerless, and as their journey progressed he noticed that he was always tired and his feet became heavier and heavier with every step. He was in no form of physical shape and he knew it all too well.

The pass itself made everything all the more difficult and Kaldur began to wonder if he would even survive the journey, much less being able to enjoy it. The cold rocked him at every turn, swaying with the threat that if he were to trip or fall over, even once, he wouldn't be able to get back up again. Kaldur's only upside in this was his companion. Ahri never seemed to judge him for his inability to make the distance, and instead encouraged him to do better and always shortening her stride to stay near him despite the fact that she could have easily made the journey and back twice without incident.

His companion, in and of herself, was an enigma to him. Despite his constant questioning, Kaldur could only figure so much about the young Vastaya. Ahri was witty, clearly intelligent, and had displayed confidence with an airing sense of a cunning nature. The only questions she answered were ones pertaining to her abilities to survive and a little about her travels in Ionia, but her past remained a mystery to the young man.

"Do you trust me?" She would often ask.

Kaldur dared not answer with a no, so in the times when this came up he would answer with a 'mostly' and the conversation would be ended with a statement like:

"Then there is no need to know right now."

Taking that as his que to shut-up he reveled in the fact that he would find out some day. These were many of the moments when Ahri, herself, began to notice his awkwardness in conversation; yet she never made comment about it.

"I think it's time we stopped for the night." Ahri commented.

Making a giant sigh of relief, and immediately wishing he hadn't, Kaldur found a rocky boulder where he sat down. The sun was hard to observe here, but as Kaldur looked up at the sky he noticed that the overcast was getting darker. Taking this as his que, he stood up and began to find wood and kindling that could be used to make a fire.

It took the better part of an hour to find, dry, and set up the wood for the fire and when it was finally lit Ahri came to sit by it, dropping her most recent catch of the day: a snow white rabbit. Kaldur hadn't even noticed her disappear.

"So what is this one called?" He asked.

"Mieva, as some of the locals have come to say but I am not sure of its actual name."

Shrugging his shoulders for warmth, Kai pulled out a knife that Ahri had given him before for skinning and cutting. Quietly he began to clear off and shave a couple of sticks to place the food on; sticking them into the fire for a moment to removed splinters and solidify the curves. When he finished he began to cut up the captured rabbit, removing the skin and the organs.

"You seem quiet today." Ahri remarked, keeping her gaze on the fire.

Kaldur hadn't noticed his silence during the day. So focused on surviving the wilds of the pass and his role he hadn't bothered to ask his usual tirade of questions.

"Huh… never noticed." He responded, continuing to focus on the food in front of him.

The silence seemed to stretch between them as he prepared the food, the only sounds being the wind, the fire, and the movements of meat being sheared from skin. Piercing the rabbits on the two sticks he made he stabbed the butt ends into the ground and leaned them to hover over the fire.

"Your getting better." Ahri called, breaking the silence. "You may live just yet." The edges of her lips turned upward, showing a small smile in Kaldurs direction.

Kaldur made a quick smile in return, and turned back to focus on the food. Ahri was still looking at him.

"So." She began. "What is it that troubles your mind?"

Kaldur shrugged. "That I am useless."

"I see a well warm dinner before me so you can't be that bad."

"You don't get it." He said, gritting it through his teeth. "I am so out of shape that I can't even do the basics in this world."

Ahri kept silent, prompting him to continue.

"I can't live here. I don't know how to survive like you do. This is a survival of this fittest place and I am not the fittest." He hadn't noticed that his voice was rising.

"You can be taught that." Ahri advised.

"But it doesn't matter!" Kaldur was seething with his anger, at himself first and foremost. "I won't be able to learn fast enough to survive here! I am going to die, and while you may try to help all that it is going to accomplish is a dead grave. I am weak and nothing is going to change that!" He felt a little better now that he got it off his chest, but the anger still lingered.

Ahri didn't say a word. With a calm expression on her face she looked at him. She didn't deserve that as Kaldur realized, she was only trying to do her best to make sure that he made it and he blew it up in her face.

Kaldur didn't know what to do, he was a little lamb in a world full of wolves and the only one was even kind to him he just called her efforts useless. Standing up he took off farther down the path leaving the fire, and Ahri, behind him.

For the next few moments Kaldur just kept running till finally his breath was so heavy that he could no longer continue and collapsed onto the ground. As he lay there his gaze shifted to the sky and looked up. The sky was no longer cloudy and he could see the stars for the first time since entering the pass. There were none that he recognized, and deep inside he began to realize that he may never get home. Initially Kaldur was so happy about the adventure and the rush that came with it, but as he stared up at the stars above there was an overwhelming sense of hopelessness that built within him.

He began to cry.

As the tears rolled down and stung the sides of his face, he thought of only home. Kaldurs parents came first and he wondered if they would even notice that he was gone, and if he would cause them heartbreak when they realized he was. He thought of his brother, now getting out of high school and heading out to live his own life; and he thought of his sister and how she would always be the kind-hearted individual who put others needs far above her own. In his family he was the oldest and yet he always acted as the most disappointing out of the three.

In his mind Kaldur wasn't strong, and was only intelligent enough to get by. He always admired his childhood heroes, and desperately wished to be one, but he never felt he could do it.

This world was going to eat him alive, the universe might as well end him.

"ROAR!"

The ground shaking growl brought Kaldur back to where he was. Standing up in a hurry, Kaldur scanned the area to find the source of the noise. Crawling on the light snow and twig infested ground was a large brown bear.

The universe had answered his call.

Kaldur stood in fear as he looked at the terrifying creature. It stood on all four paws with claws easily the size of his fingers and teeth that flashed in ravenous abandon. While its size and muscular look were quite impressive, nothing scared Kaldur more than the eyes; cold eyes of a hunter who had now found its prey and was willing to kill for it.

Kaldur couldn't move, while every part of his body was calling for him to do so he just stood there. The bear could sense his fear and began to rise on its two hind legs and let out a ferocious roar.

The ground to seem to tear out from under Kaldur and he fell backwards onto the ground, his hands catching behind him in instinct. He was rattled but the fear still gripped him and he stared at the bear as if he was looking at death.

The bear charged him.

Kaldur almost could not focus on what was happening when a brilliant flash of light struck the scene. From what he could tell, it was a small orb that saved his life. Colored in bright blues and greens the orb flew through the bear from his right and then came to a slow stop before it sped backwards through the bear again. Each time the orb didn't seem to effect the bear physically, instead the bear grunted as if in pain and swayed each way. The orb followed its path back to where it came and Kaldurs gaze followed it till it came across a familiar figure.

Ahri stood beside one of the thin trees that lined the pathway; in her right hand hovered the orb in all its brilliance. She was focused on the bear and as her hand dropped beside her the orb vanished with it. Kaldur returned his vision back to the bear and realized that it was still not dead, instead it seemed to howl in pain and rear its head to its attacker. Shifting its paws to her, the bear hunched over and launched itself towards her in a run. Kaldur watched in both fear and wonder as Ahri dashed quietly and quickly away from her attacker and stayed clear of it as the bear struggled to slow down. With one quick motion, Ahri waved her hands and three floating blue flames erupted from around her, each one alive and vibrant as they licked the cold air.

The bear had finally regained its footing and looped around towards Ahri once more. Ahri stood calm in all of the commotion and waited as the flames orbited slowly around her. It seemed almost instantaneous, and with a quick flick of her wrist the flames escaped from their boundary towards the bear with a rush behind them. Each struck the bear with pinpoint precision, and with each impact the bear lost more and more of its momentum, slowly coming to a halt before its killer. The eyes of the bear were no longer vibrant and it seemed to stand for a good few moments in defiance before it finally collapsed to the ground.

All was silent once more.

Kaldur was so stunned by the series of events that he had not even noticed he was still on the ground, letting the snow seep into his clothing. In a sudden burst of energy, he shot up to his feet and looked at Ahri who was still looking at the bear.

"He should not have died in this manner." She said, breaking the silence that was growing.

Kaldur could not seem to respond, but he forced himself to push the first words that came to his mind.

"I should have." He replied.

Ahri shook her head. "No."

Kaldurs confusion and doubt began to grow. "Then what should have happened?" He asked.

It was then that Ahri decided to look at him, her yellow eyes piercing him with guilt and sadness that lingered behind them.

"I don't know." She claimed reluctantly. "I only know what I have done, I don't know what you would have done."

The comment boggled Kaldurs mind as he thought of the scenario. He had done something, he froze in fear like a coward, and it only proved to himself how weak he already believed himself to be. In his world there was nothing that Kaldur could do, he had already done what it was that he thought of, and it disgusted him. Looking up at the sky Kaldur realized that he was to tired to argue the point, and any more thought of this would only further push him down the hole. Taking a breath, he turned to Ahri and gestured to lead on as they went back to camp and to sleep.

The morning proved to provide no answers for his questions as the cold nipped at his face and hands. Getting up, he removed the last of the dried meat that was stored and ate it with much less vigor than usual. Ahri was already up with the fire dispersed and standing in wait for him to get a move-on. Acknowledging the unsaid request Kaldur stood up and trudged along forward, as much as he wanted to feel useless he felt much more strongly that it would be unfair to his companion if he kicked the bucket now considering she saved him for a second time. Begrudgingly moving forward, the days of travel through the pass continued as normal, albeit much more silent without his constant tirade of questions.

It took them longer than a week to clear the pass and just as long to make it to the coastline. In that time Kaldur had become more proficient at making a fire and being able to deal with the cold, and cruel, wilderness. It became more apparent as the journey progressed that Kaldur was now able to walk faster and with less effort than he had previously, and his energy rose with every morning sun. In time he even began to ask his usual questions again.

"Where are we?" He wondered as he looked upon the edge of the mountainside. The valley beneath him was smooth and green as it cascaded from the bottom of the mountain to the edges of his vision. Kaldur began to feel a little wonder at this place, and for the briefest of moments forgot his troubles and returned to his curious and excited self.

"The province of Shon-Xan." Ahri replied distantly. "The coast is a couple weeks away, it will be a long trek."

With that kaldur reverted back and shook his head in disappointment. The valley itself was a wonder to behold. Cascaded in hues of green, blue, and red the rolling hills were fraught with flowers that created intricate and detailed patterns across the landscape. In many areas, forests seemed to rise out of the ground and invite many a wandering traveler all the while disappearing at the next bend in a hill. What was most intriguing to Kaldur were the thin stone plateaus that stretch from the ground to the sky in a rough V shape; each one containing a small island atop it with brilliant orange flora layering them from above. These natural stone wonders were laced throughout the valley in clumps and every time Kaldur saw one he would wonder at how they seemed to defy gravity in their construction.

Over the passage of time Kaldur began to return to his questioning attitude and focused on developing a sense of how Ionia behaved despite all of the dangers, and wonders, that presented itself over the years. And with that Ahri began to teach him all she knew about Ionia's history through the memories she had encountered over the years. For Kaludr, it became a great surprise that a land so peaceful was one that was fraught with war from invading countries such as Noxus and dangers internally. While they were not intended for this purpose, the country itself had developed many personnel that were capable of defending Ionia from current and future threats; they were the many people who studied in the numerous monasteries that lingered around the country.

Before long Kaldur had learned much and was now standing on one of the many beaches of Ionia facing the island of Ralin, their next destination. The beach was just like anything he had seen on his world, white and brown sand lay in a smooth overlay parallel to the waters edge as far as his eye could see, from his left all the way to his right. They only differences were the creatures that lay lazily on Ionias shores. Colored in orange and white the creature represented some form of sea squid mixed with a seal. Kaldur reached forward to touch one as he examined the beach he stood on.

"I wouldn't touch that." Ahri advised.

Kaldur looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "What are they?" He asked.

Ahri shrugged her shoulders. "I am not sure on the name but most memories I have of them usually end in massive amounts of pain."

Kaldur looked back at the lazy sea urchin, decided better on it, and turned around to follow Ahri.

"So how are we going to get to the island over there?" He asked falling in next to her.

"There is a small fishing town along the shore that can ferry across members to the island. Actually, there are villages all over Ionia designed for that purpose since the nation is made up of many small islands."

"Ah." He nodded. "So, what is this village like exactly?"

"Simple. Nothing really fascinating about it but…" Her voice trailed off.

Kaldur waited a moment for her to finish her sentence. "But what?" He finally asked.

Ahri held up her hand to silence him and pointed towards the direction they were facing. Kaldurs gaze followed her finger and he began to see the beginnings of a group of houses. Each of them were a set of ramshackle huts when all was said and done, their walls were made of a simple brown bark patchwork and the roofing of each was folded into a type of sphere that allowed for rain to pass off them and keep the houses stable in the case of a storm. The docks that protruded from the village were not as nearly run down and they gleamed with a bright red of hue that seemed to reflect well on the water around it. Yet it wasn't the village itself that Ahri was pointing at, her finger just hovered slightly above it and as Kaldur caught what she was looking at his eyes grew wider.

There were large amounts of smoke coming from inside the building, and it did not seem like that from cooking fires. The village itself was on fire.

Without a moments hesitation Ahri dashed forward towards the village at full sprint. Kaldur attempted the same in order to keep up but he was not nearly as fast as she and it took him much longer to reach the edges of the burning buildings.

The screams were the first thing to hit Kaldur as he came into the perimeter, they were loud and sharp with the shrieking sensation of terror. Next came the smell of smoke followed closely by a sudden difficulty to breath. Finally came the laughter, it was low and reeked of bloodlust and greed. The town was under attack.

Taking all of the information in, Kaldur began to wander he city. He had to find Ahri, if he could stick by her maybe they could get out of this alive. It was in this moment that the fear which Kaldur had fought to keep away for the past few weeks returned. Kaldur wandered through the town in a blind panic his only thought being to find Ahri. It was then that he heard it: someone was crying. Kaldur was torn; he wanted to run. Just like the bear he froze, keeping his legs planted in the middle of a couple of houses that seemed to encircle the road he stood on. Yet the crying continued, and for the first time Kaldur found that his legs were actually moving. He didn't know why they were, but they moved and it came as a relief when they were leading him closer to the sounds of tears being shed.

Kaldur reached the bend of the building in front of him and he turned to find himself by the wayside of the towns main pathway. Around him many buildings burned brightly and he looked around to see a little girl standing in the middle of the roadway with tears in her eyes and an odd shaped doll in both of her hands held tightly to her chest.

The girl could not have been any older that three standing in the center of the road. Her cries echoed through the sounds of fire and commotion but no one seemed to hear her, or at least no one was around to hear her … except Kaldur.

It was just then that the sound of exploding wood drew Kaldurs attention to movement farther down the road. A man on a horse road into view and slowly brought his horse to a trot in the center of the road, rearing it in the direction of the little girl. The man wore a set of leather armor around his chest and arms while keeping his biceps and neck clear of any clothing. He wore no helmet and his pants were jet black with leather patches surrounding his shins and thighs. The man was of a big build and well-muscled with skin that looked like it worked many days in the sun; his face, on the other hand, looked like it had gone through a blender. His hair was non-existent and he had a large claw marked scar that sheared across his entire face from his lower chin all the way to the temple on his left side. While it seemed physically impossible, the man seemed to retain both of his eyes despite the scar and each of them seemed to represent who he was: a cold-blooded killer. The horse, a chestnut brown color with white spots, did not seem to share its riders sentiments and stood under the man with a look of miserable acceptance lying on its face.

The barbarian raised his right hand in the air brandishing a sharp spear and shouted a loud roar into the air as if to celebrate his triumph over the village people. This made the little girl cry louder out of fright. The brute turned to the little child and reared his horse in her direction, anger burning in his eyes at the little thing that interrupted his supposed glory. With a sharp yip and a howl, the man sped his horse towards the little girl in the street, lowering his spear to her level.

Kaldur couldn't move at all. He looked on helplessly as he watched the man charge, knowing what was going to happen. He had to do something, he had to…

"FAIR!" The little girl screamed.

Without any warning Kaldur dashed out into the street and dove for the little girl, gripping her in his arms and tearing her away from the horsed barbarian just in time to hear the hooves pass him. The girl weighed much less than he thought and Kaldur slowed down as he approached the other side of the road with the girl in his hands. He had done it, he had saved the girl.

"Fair." The girl cried in his arms.

Kaldur looked down to see the girl. She had golden brown hair that flowed from her head and as she turned up to his face he could see the sad little emerald green eyes that looked right at him.

Keeping his voice calm he began to sooth the little girl. "Shh. It's alright now, I got you."

The girl seemed to stop screaming but her tears didn't seem to abate. Taking that as a good sign, Kaldur turned around to find the horseman, keeping the little girl tucked away in his arms. The horseman was just now wheeling around to face Kaludr, his face displaying only disdain and hatred for the man who had denied him his pleasure. Shouting towards Kaldur the man prepped his horse for another charge. Kaldur knew he would not live through another charge and that mans spear would not miss its target the next time through; thinking through the problem Kaldur gripped the girl a little tighter and darted to his right through the buildings and away from the madman. He had to get the girl away first, If he could do that then he could finish the next problem.

Kaldur zigzagged through the buildings at random intervals, making sure that the barbarian following them would have to weave through solid, and burning, wood with a horse to catch him. Dashing through the buildings, Kaldur had to correct his course multiple times as he ran into many other barbarian groups on foot, some by themselves and others in combat with some of the villagers. At one time he could have sworn he saw Ahri fighting a group of them but couldn't stop for her help as the, now raging, horseman was gaining on them. Keeping the girl tight to him, Kaldur jumped over a pile of burning would, ignoring the pain, and took a quick right where he found himself behind an uninjured shack that was far enough from the horseman.

Slowly he set the girl down on her feet behind the building.

"Now you stay here." He politely ordered.

The girl cocked her head to the side confused, her eyes still red from the tears she had shed earlier. Kaldur took his hand and padded the ground behind her and looked at the girl's face. The girl didn't quite seem to comprehend that either and just stood there. Making a deep sigh, Kaludr picked up the girl once more and sat her down on the grassy spot near one of the buildings outer supports that lay under the building itself. Raising his hand he made a flat palm and showed it to her. The girl didn't move. Judging that that was the best that he could do, Kaldur removed himself from the area and headed out towards the road.

It wasn't even moments before the horseman's ugly head reared itself from behind the burning village buildings. Seeing Kaldur the man shouted loudly and laughed at what he thought was caught prey. Kaldur felt fear once more as he saw the horseman prepare for the kill, but this time it felt different. Instead of it being the sole focus of his mind Kaldur felt more focused than he had ever before; the fear was definitely present but it was diminished somehow, repressed even. Kaldur looked around the area as thoroughly and quickly as he could trying to find something that could help him. He held no illusions about his situation, it was dire; but he had to do this and if he was going to survive he would rather do it by his terms than by his enemies.

Just as he thought of his plan the barbarian charged at him, spear pointing toward his heart. Quickly, Kaldur reached behind himself and grabbed the base of one of the broken wood bearings that was on fire and through it straight at the charging barbarian. The man flinched at the fire blazoned object that nearly hit his head and he shifted his body to avoid, and subsequently his spear as well. Kaldur avoided the spear that was now no longer aimed at him and stepped towards the horse's face as the horseman slowed down to avoid the fiery blockade in front of him. It was here that Kaldur grabbed one of the smaller wooden sticks and raised it to the horses face, waving it back and forth in front of the creatures eyes.

The trick worked and the horse flailed back in fear tossing his rider backwards and off the horse. The barbarian landed flat on his back as the horse fled into the distance away from the fire that was steadily spreading. Kaldur immediately rushed on the opportunity and he drew the knife that Ahri had given him. Kneeling down next to the dazed man Kaldur quickly raised the knife to the man's throat. It took a moment for a the barbarian to realize what had happened, but once he did the killer froze in place with his eyes wide. It was in this moment that Kaldur saw fear in this man's eyes for the first time, fear of death.

As Kaldur stared at the man he felt an overwhelming desire to kill the man in front on him, all his hate and anger seemed to want to come out at the same time and he thought that if he did so the world might be better off.

He couldn't do it. Something about killing this man seemed wrong to Kaldur and it had nothing to do with the man himself. It seemed too simple, too easy, to end the man's life in front of him. It wasn't that he couldn't kill the barbarian, Kaldur wouldn't kill him.

Taking one last look into the killers eyes Kaldur realized that the man had lost all of his fear and was smiling instead. The barbarian had realized what Kaldur had just figured out himself: Kaldur would not kill him.

The barbarian grabbed his spear and succinctly began to strike at Kaldurs unguarded ribs below his arm that held the knife. Kaldur reacted faster than he ever thought he could and pulled his left hand, which contained the blade, away from the man's throat, striking the barbarian across the temple with the pommel of the knife. The barbarian flew unconscious at the blow and his spear fell to the ground. Kaldur had won.

Looking around him at the carnage he shook as he remembered the girl underneath the building. Darting upwards he headed to where he hid her to find that she was still safe and sound holding the awkward looking stuffed animal in her lap. Smiling to himself, Kaldur reached over and led her out from under the house. He picked her up, and began to wander around the outskirts of the village area to find any information and to find Ahri. If this mess could be fixed he needed her.

It wasn't long before Kaldur realized that no more help was needed in the village in the first place. Many of the towns inhabitants were already trying to put out the fires and the one he could find who spoke Noxian told Kaldur that Ahri had helped them defeat most of the bandits and chase the rest out. It took an hour for things to settle down enough and the entire time Kaldur had been watching the child like a hawk so that her parents could find her. Finally, Ahri came out of the ruins and walked up to him.

"Thank god." He cried a sigh of relief. "You safe."

Ahri produced one of her usual cocky smiles. "Of course. But better yet…" She leaned down to look at the child hugging Kaldurs leg. "Who is this little one?"

Kaldur looked down to see the young child. "I found her during all of the commotion. She was crying so I picked her up."

Ahri closed her eyes and widened her smile towards the young girl. "Well aren't you lucky that this one saved you from the bad man." She coddled to the child.

Kaldurs mouth stood open. "How did you know?" He asked.

Ahri stood up to his height and looked at him in the eyes. "I saw you running with her earlier and went to help. However, when I got there you seemed to have the situation well under control."

"I could have died! The girl could have died!" He yelled aghast.

"Yes, you could have. But you seemed to prove to yourself that your strong enough." She smiled at him once more, this time making it seem a little more genuine. "Besides, very few men show true courage."

Kaldur couldn't even argue with her at this point. For all intents and purposes he needed this experience, but it still didn't make it right.

"Though I do have one question." Ahri began. "Why didn't you kill him?"

Kaldur stopped for a moment to think: why had he not killed the man? There seemed many reasons but he couldn't seem to find one that fit.

"I suppose…" He started. "…I suppose it is because in this world full of death, I didn't want to add any more to it."

Ahri seemed to ponder his response for a moment before responding, her eyes getting a little darker. "The world is colder than you think. Someday you may not have a choice."

Kaldur shook his head and felt his confidence begin to build within him. "And that is a decision I will have to make. I am going to choose to walk this path because I believe it is the right thing to do."

He paused and looked once more at the young girl attached to his leg. "And that also means I am going to have to get stronger to do so."

Kaldur pulled his head back up to face Ahri only to realize that she was giving him an oddly shocked and interested look. "What?" he asked.

Ahri spun her head to the side, seeming to become a shade redder and looking off into the distance. "Nothing. Just delighted that you are back to being yourself."

Before Kaldur could inquire further he felt a lightening motion on his leg and noticed that the little girl, stuffed animal in tow, was running towards the village. Kaldur was about to take off after her when he noticed a man and woman walk out from behind the wreckage of buildings. The man knelt down first and held his arms out, while the woman followed suit.

"Dyeda!" Called the man.

"Fair!" Responded the little girl.

Kaldur paused and leaned back as he watched the little girl reunite with her family. The little girl seemed to stumble at first but quickly picked herself up and stumbled into the arms of her parents. As they shared a lasting hug the man picked up his daughter in his arms and gave a glance at Kaldur before nodding his head with a smile marked upon his face. Not knowing what to do, Kaldur just smiled and nodded back. As the family turned to walk away, Kaldur couldn't help but feel that he had just made a friend that day.

Turning to Ahri he cocked his head to the side. "So… that word that the girl used. She said the same thing twice to me when I picked her up. In… well Noxian I guess, it means something else. What does it mean in Ionian?"

"Father." Ahri answered, staring off into the direction the family had disappeared.

"It means 'Father'."


	4. The Blind Monk

Chapter 3: The Blind Monk

It took a week for the village to return to the way things were. Multiple citizens didn't have homes to return to and the place was buzzing with Ionians moving to and from, all attempting to put effort into repairing the damage that had been done. While Ahri and Kaldur wanted to progress with their journey, the boats themselves had been damaged and the city couldn't afford to ferry members across with all that had to be done. So, with their tracks halted, Kaldur offered to help the villagers repair their homes until they could press on.

The week was harsh for Kaldur as he seemed to wander the town with nothing to do, and whenever he was asked to aid either the language barrier, or his weak frame, prevented much in the way of assistance. It was only when one of the older village members came to him that he began to work constantly. Through the old man Kaldur was able to learn how to collect the materials and bring them to fruition as the town needed them, and as the days passed he was constantly asked to complete more and more difficult tasks. As he worked, the family whose daughter he saved the first day had offered to take him in for the time being. Staying with them he learned that the daughter was named Eiakni and the father was called O-fa while the mother was called O-ma by many of the villagers. In the time there he formed a good relationship with the little girl and her family, making sure that he helped where he could if they ever asked.

Ahri was an entirely different story. At first he could not find her during the day, always watching her come back in during the night and sleep in one of the closet rooms by herself, curled into a ball and fast asleep. When he did finally find her, she was playing in the field just past the sand barrier and keeping many of the kids, the Eiakni included, busy for the day.

"You mind helping me tomorrow with the wood?" Kaldur asked her, one of the few nights Ahri joined the family for dinner. "I need to shave the splintered bits for the roofs and could use an extra hand."

Ahri didn't respond for a bit, keeping her gaze fixed on the food. "I don't think that is a good idea. I am much more suited to keep the children at play while the adults fix the town."

Clueless as ever he trudged forward. "Come one, it is not that bad. One day is not going to hurt the children."

"No." She stated firmly, keeping her voice steady.

Kaldur couldn't seem to understand why she hesitated, she seemed clearly able to help the village but he didn't press the issue much further.

"Kal." Came his name from Eiakni. He turned to face her and saw that she was holding a bowl full of some type of fish, which instinctively made him gag; but he sucked it up, smiled, and took one anyway. 'Kal' was the name the little girl had come to call Kaldur as it was simple and easy to remember, plus it helped him get closer to the family despite the language barrier.

The day before their scheduled departure, Kaldur took the time to wander the shops in search of supplies for his journey and this time Ahri decided to join him.

"I am going to need some type of backpack for this stuff." He called to her, carrying a giant basket of assorted foods. The village seemed to offer both himself and Ahri a discount on the price for their help these last few days, some vendors even offered stuff for free.

"We are going to need more than that." She commented, walking smoothly through the crowd of citizens.

"True enough, but how much can one person carry?"

"Try thinking of it as a matter of survival." Ahri explained.

"That doesn't help." He commented begrudgingly. "I mean, why all the food? We can hunt most of what we find can't we?"

Ahri didn't even look at him. "You mean _I_ can hunt." She reminded, keeping her tone friendly.

Kaldurs pride dropped. "You know what I mean. Plus, I am still learning, it's not like I can chase a rabbit on foot."

"Yes, that is true." Ahri remarked. "But you can still learn to throw a knife."

Kaldur scoffed. "Oh sure, teach me to throw a knife o-weaponless one. You have natural physical abilities and magic on your side. The only thing I have is the ability to be your battery."

"Battery?" She asked, turning her head to face his.

"A battery. It's like a power source. Didn't you say that there were cities around Runeterra that were technologically inclined?"

"I said that, but that term has never happened in my travels."

"Oh." Kaldur continued. "As I was saying. All I have the ability to do is give you power via my memories, which are never removed permanently." Something occurred to him.

"Speaking of; you haven't asked to take any, didn't you need some power during the fight?"

"I did not require any." Ahri gestured. "I do not particularly like taking one's memories unless I absolutely have to."

Kaldur knelt his head to the side in thought. "Did you get addicted to the power?" he asked.

Ahri stopped and looked at him, stunned.

Kaldur almost hit himself. "Sorry." He apologized turning his eyes downwards to avoid her eyes.

"It's alright." She reassured. "I am more surprised at the accuracy of your statement."

Kaldur shifted his gaze back to hers to see that Ahri was giving him another one of her curious glances. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times in an attempt to find a response, and settled on a simple explanation.

"It seemed logical to me is all." Kaldur began. "Most of the time people who have power try to misuse it a few times before they learn to control it and find a better use. Otherwise they falter and become what their power decides them to be."

"That seems very wise for someone of your age." Ahri smiled.

"How young do you think I am?!" Kaldur asked, affronted. "Besides, that's not wisdom. My world just does this all the time, and nobody ever learns from it."

Ahri giggled a little bit. "In all fairness you do seem quite young."

Kaldur tried to raise his hands in the air out of defeat but the basket prevented that.

"However…" Ahri began, her demeanor shifting slightly. "You seem to notice things that many others don't."

Kaldur shrugged. "Common sense is something I lack, so if I notice something it is most likely just an intelligent observation."

"And you're humble too." Ahri remarked sarcastically.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ahri laughed. "Clearly the gods of common sense have failed to bless you."

Everything just went over Kaldurs head in that one moment, and every time he tried to grasp for it he couldn't find an answer. After a few minutes of trying, he resolved to find out what she meant another day.

With all of their supplies gathered, and having a good nights rest, Ahri and Kaldur met at the docks ready to begin the long voyage to the Monastery of Hirana. As they were departing, boarding the strange boat that looked a little too flat to be a boat, Eiakni and much of the village came to bid them a farewell. It was the familiar feeling of weight on his leg that let Kaldur know the little girl was here to see him off.

"Kal!" She called, her eyes red with tears as she clung to his leg.

Kaldur knelt down and gave the girl a big hug before he looked her in the face.

"It's ok. Hopefully one day I will come back to see you." He reassured her. Slowly releasing himself from the girls grip he walked backwards onto the boat, feeling the waves of the water beneath him. As the ferry began to move away from the shore he began to wave and was surprised to see how many people waved back in response. When they were far enough out he dropped his hand and turned to Ahri who was staring out into the water with her tail swaying back and forth.

"Not a people person, huh?" She quipped, not taking her eyes off the water.

Kaldur spread a big grin across his face. "Pretty much. But I still learn as I go."

Ahri shook her head and kept her gaze to the waters as she leaned on the wooden coaming that wrapped around the rectangular transportation. The trip took quite a few hours, and the only other person with them was the ferryman who was quietly minding his own business keeping the ferry on the straight and narrow. All in all, the trip was a peaceful one, and the sky reflected that as the sun was partially covered by clouds. Kaldur decided that it was best he take a rest and he lay down using his new jacket as a pillow, letting the soft sound of running water lull him to sleep.

"What do you desire?" called a voice. There was nothing familiar about it, to Kaldur the voice sounded empty, like there was no substance to it.

"I don't know." He found himself saying, not knowing what was driving the words.

"I know what you desire, and I can give it to you." The voice promised, but still, the words felt hollow.

"How?" He asked, still unsure of why he was asking.

"By giving you power." Came another voice, this one felt heavier and with much more malice than the first.

"I need power?" he asked, and while Kaldur did not want to consider the proposal his mind started to mull it over.

"Yes, you do." Replied the first voice, its emptiness seeming to echo.

"Use us!" This time it was a third voice that broke the emptiness, instead of malice it emanated an eager innocence and by far had the most force behind it.

"Better yet," Came the second voice. "Be used by us."

"After all, we know what you want." Chimed in the empty voice.

"Use us!" Interrupted the innocent voice.

Kaldur began to feel a pull within his mind as the voices talked to him. They gnawed at him, and while he felt much more ecstatic than normal, he also began to fell lost.

"What if I don't want to?" He asked, and as he did he began to feel his mind feel a little lighter. But just as he began to, the combination of pressure and nothingness slammed against his thoughts.

"You want to!" Replied the malicious voice, its anger tearing a heat into Kaldur.

"We know what you want." Coaxed the empty voice.

"Use us!" Shouted the voice of innocence.

Kaldur didn't know why but as his mind began to succumb to the vortex of emotions his own began to rise up as well.

"NO!" He shouted.

The vortex began to recede, but it was still there.

"But we want it." Whined the innocent voice, now sounding more like that of a child.

"I don't want to." Replied Kaldur, for the first time in this conversation he felt in control of himself.

"…kaldur…" the sound felt like one of the voices around him, but it wasn't part of the three he had heard before.

"Kaldur…Kaldur… KAL!" Screamed the voice.

Kaldur opened his eyes to see Ahri kneeling over him with a concerned look plaguing her face. Shaking himself from his sleep, Kaldur observed that the sky was now overcast as a small drizzle struck his face making him flinch.

"What's up?" He replied, keeping his gaze fixed on Ahri.

"We finally arrived. I tried to wake you but you seemed to not respond." Ahri couldn't seem to keep the worry out of her voice.

"Did anything happen while I was asleep?" He asked as he slowly stood up.

Ahri hesitated for a moment before appearing to decide that it was better to tell him. "You were surrounded by magic for a few moments here and there." She answered. "You were starting to scare the ferryman." She nodded over to the old man who was on shore with a rope in his hands.

Kaldur diverted his eyes towards the man and noticed that he was eyeing Kaldur with a cautious expression on his face.

"Right… did this magic do anything while I was out?" He asked, returning his attention to Ahri as he picked up their stuff.

"No." She replied.

Kaldurs mind immediately formed the connection between the voices he had heard within the dream. Taking that as a bad sign, he decided to change the topic and deal with it later, lest it cause more issues.

"Hopefully it is nothing to worry about. Besides, we have the entire trip to talk about it. So where is this monastery from here?"

Ahri formed one of her usual cryptic smiles, but the emotions of the smile never reached her eyes.

"It is atop the mountain." She pointed East. "It will take us a few days but it is not that far."

"Well then. Time to get started." Kaldur invited as he turned to the mountain.

Kaldur's excitement followed him as Ahri and himself progressed towards their destination. The first couple of days were occupied with Kaldur asking Ahri his usual display of questions, and during that time he attempted to teach himself how to throw a knife. At this point Kaldur became quite used to the irregularities of time outdoors and with much practice, and effort, he became efficient with much of the basics that were involved. His only weak point was still the same: hunting.

During their initial time together Ahri had come to expect that Kaldur could not be taught to hunt like her, and resigned teaching him entirely. Now he began to follow her and pick up on things that he could do. While Ahri relied on sight, smell, and sound; which were all far greater than Kaldur's; he began to pick up on patterns such as tracks and behavior of the animals. He was by no means a hunter but it was amusing for Ahri to watch as he attempted to utilize the skills he trained himself in. During some nights Ahri would allow him to accompany her, and while she knew where the prey was almost instantaneously, she helped guide Kaldur to where it was during his many attempts. This made the trip much longer than anticipated, but for Kaldur it was all worth it.

Kneeling in the grass, Kaldur leaned against one of the hard-oak trees which was root next to him. Knife in his left hand, he scanned the area for any signs of movement. Kaldur was covered with his new favorite green cloak that allowed him to blend into his environment, and wore a loose-fitting pair of pants that were made of some type of silk; the only thing he wore that had stayed the same throughout the trip were his trusty tennis shoes that didn't seem to wear as easily as his other clothes.

Earlier Kaldur had found animal droppings that were from some form of mini-deer which he never could pronounce the name of. As he scouted the area, the excrement led him to scratches in the trees' bark and a small game trail that lead deeper into the forest. Following the trail he came across a small opening in the forest and saw, for the first time, many sleeping bodies of the micro-deer laying in rest. During Kaldurs watch he noticed many of the smaller children get up for a bit and then lie back down. The first time he saw one he instinctively raised his knife to throw, but he stopped as he remembered Ahri's advice to never kill the children, as they have not yet lived long enough and they will also carry less meat.

Thinking about her made Kaldur look around away from the sleeping prey. It was a personal game for him to try and find Ahri, as she hid every time their target was near. Here he caught her by her glowing eyes; Ahri was hiding in wait up a large oak tree staring down at the mini-deer with impatience as her tails, all nine out, twitched.

Focused on Ahri, Kaldur almost didn't notice the movement in the group when it jolted him to his senses. In the middle of the group, one of the adults stood up and shook its legs before it wandered around the group. Slowly, it made its way to where Kaldur lay in wait. Holding his breath, Kaldur watched as the small deer-like animal, easily the size of a tiny dog, stopped right in front of him. The creature was sideways, the perfect angle for a strike to the heart; provided he could hit it.

Kaldur rose up the knife above his head, careful not to make any noise, and slowly let his breath out.

His hand fell forward and he released the knife. Kaldur watched as it sailed forward, rotating on its axis, and landed square in the center of the creature. The creature was almost too stunned to shout anything before it attempted to run and tripped over itself on the ground. It was the sound of the falling deer that alerted the others, and without any effort they rose up and took off. The sound of a small tremor as the creatures left the area.

Kaldur stood up and moved over to the fallen creature as Ahri dropped from the tree and landed next to him.

"You did well. I was almost certain you would miss." She commented, keeping a sense of humor in her voice.

"Yeah, me too." He laughed as he knelt down to observe the dead animal. It was a clean kill, the knife had imbedded itself into the heart and the creature died without feeling any pain. It was Kaldurs first kill.

As he removed the knife, Ahri spoke. "I noticed you killed the creature without hesitation, yet you wish to not kill another human."

Kaldur wiped off the blade and slid it back into its sheath. He had expected this question to come up at some point but he hadn't found a proper way to respond. Now it seemed to come to him.

"I believe I would kill a human, and for that matter a Vastaya, if I absolutely had no other choice. But I also believe that we always have a choice, so I just won't do it."

He paused to take a breath and noticed Ahri was still watching him.

"As for the animal, I keep asking myself what gives me the right to take its life and the truth is that nothing does."

Kaldur turned his gaze up to Ahri. "The truth is I have no idea. I don't know if this is right or wrong. But I also think of why certain animals kill others as food, do they have that sense of morality as we do?"

"They were made to be that way." Ahri answered instantly.

"True enough. But we were made to think and question, and I am going to continue to do both and not kill those who can do the same."

Ahri looked at him with sadness lingering in her eyes. "That is some misplaced optimism."

Kaldur flashed a goofy grin. "Maybe this is my way of fighting the world, and if I end up killing then it wins and I lose. So, for now, I choose to prove that the world can be changed, even if it is by one life at a time."

Ahri couldn't help but smile; cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms. "You are just one conundrum after another."

"Just goes to show you that my fight against the universe is winning." He praised as Kaldur raised a hand in the air.

The night proceeded just as normally as any other, Kaldur skinned and prepped the meal while Ahri waited patiently near the fire. With their bellies full, and the moon high in the sky, Kaldur fell asleep with his back to the fire.

The morning was especially humid that day, and when Kaldur buried the fire and prepped his pack for transportation he began to feel the beginnings of rain. Hurriedly, Ahri and himself began to creep up the mountain. When the rain did begin to fall, he was surprised to find it was warm. Observing his surroundings, he noticed that the passage up the mountain was no longer carved by a forest, but rather a jungle.

"How in the hell is there a jungle this far up north?" Kaldur cried, making his disbelief apparent.

"Many temples are built around areas with much magic." Ahri explained. "This area just happens to shift nature."

Kaldur felt his jaw drop as he looked up. On the side of the cliff face was a twirl of branches that spun, one over the other, in intricate design and overlay the top of the structure like archways that pointed near the tip. The path that led from it dug into the jungle that fell beneath, losing itself for a while till it arrived where he stood. There didn't seem to be multiple trees here either as it looked like a mishmash of one tree and a whole lot of foliage. The large leaves, branches, vines, and moss were covered in various colored flowers that spread throughout the jungle, making it twice a visible. Inside each tree was a flash of red or blue color that seemed to sparkle then vanish, and never in the same place.

Closing his mouth with a click, Kaldur followed Ahri into the jungle and seemed to stumble as he saw how roomy it was under the overhang of trees. The jungle seemed to willingly guide them as they passed from one tree trunk to the next over a path that didn't have a single spec of dirt on it; the rain even seemed to stop. As they made their way up to the top Kaldur was able to view the temple in full light for the first time. The branches that hung over the top of it seemed to, not only give it beauty but, hide it from view. Someone would have a hard time finding this place unless they new where they were going. The vines and branches in front of him formed a torrential doorway that screamed elegance. Not only was it beautiful, but it seamlessly formed from nature to manmade architecture. The steps began to form the moment he stepped foot under its archway, and as he looked in he could see the ceiling was flawlessly embedded into the mountain side and the branches formed the roof in a mix of twisting patterns. In between all of the gaps were points of colored glass that lit the area in an array of colors. To Kaldurs left and his right were pillars of bronze that were marked with sigils perpendicular to the floor. Behind the pillars was a wall of quartz and jade with sunken alcoves that held statues made of jet black stone and golden trimmings. Each one contained the pose of a martial artist, and as Kladur looked further he could see that many of them were in a form that embodied strength.

Kaldur was almost too lost in thought that when Ahri was half the hallway away he had to run to keep up. It was then that they entered a magnificent chamber. The walls were filled with flags of assorted colors but all of them as a word written in the center, each made of Ionian text. In the center of the room lay a circular indent which reminded Kaldur of an empty fountain base. On the far side of the room was a pair of double doors that seemed to have no edge to either of them; and in the center of the room sat a lone statue of a lean monk.

The statue moved in a fluid like motion, standing up straight and facing the two intruders. Kaldur only realized then that the statue was actually a man, one who was well muscled, skinny, and wore no shirt. It was only upon closer inspection that Kaldur noticed the man was wearing a red bandana over his eyes, wore loose fitting red trousers, and had a long braid that fell from a small spot on his otherwise bald head.

The monk turned his head slightly to the side and spoke in a low tone, his voice rough but light hearted.

"A Vastaya, and a human. Both young, but only one eager. The human is Noxian" He analyzed.

"Hello Lee Sin." Greeted Ahri.

"Ahri. I hear your quest still continues. What brings you back to Ionia?"

"I had a little encounter with a thief. Let us just say there are things you don't take from me." She answered, keeping her voice as humorous as possible.

"Is this the thief?" Lee Sin asked, pointing to Kaldur.

"Really? You would assume that a thief would travel with this one? Look, I know she's pretty, but most likely the guy would have left from ignorance at this point." Kaldur retorted.

Lee Sin didn't even move. "Seems your companion has a mouth on him."

"Yes." Ahri sighed. "Yes, he does."

Kaldur looked up at the tapestries. "All right, you got me. What next, some jab at my character?"

"If I were to jab at you, young one, you would feel it and it would most likely kill you." Responded Lee Sin.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "You can't take a joke can you?"

"I understand jokes, but you, my friend, are not funny."

A moment of silence passed as Kaldur waited to recover from the blow, he could feel Ahri next to him on the verge of laughing.

"Ow." He commented. "Alright then… Ahri what are we doing here?"

Ahri turned to face him, the humor had clearly not left her face.

"Oh, you think that's funny huh?" Kaldur blushed out of embarrassment.

"Hilarious." There was not even a moments hesitation in her voice.

Kaldu sighed. "Ok then. Just so that I don't make a bigger fool out of myself," He turned to Lee Sin. "Hello, my name is Kaldur. I have many questions for you but the first would be who are you and why did you speak Noxian first when you are clearly in Ionia?"

"That is two questions Kaldur." Pointed Lee Sin, he seemed to shift his ear between Ahri and Kaldur. "Quite the man of curiosity."

"You have no idea." Interjected Ahri.

"To answer your questions Kaldur, I am Lee Sin, a monk at the temple to meditate upon enlightenment. As for how I knew to speak Noxian, your gate suggested that you were of that culture and most Noxians do not know Ionian dialects."

"Ah. Makes sense." Kaldur remarked.

"What brings you this far, Ahri?" Lee Sin asked. "If you had recovered what was stolen I can only assume that you would have continued on your journey."

"I was waylaid." Ahri responded, keeping her voice casual. "Actually, I am here for your help."

"Oh?"

"This young man." She pointed to Kaldur. "Is not only immune to having his memories removed, but he is not from here."

"Not from Ionia?" Lee Sin asked.

"Not from Runeterra." Ahri clarified.

Lee Sin seemed to move an inch from his spot and Kaldur took it as surprise. "Where is he from?"

"A place called Earth." Interjected Kaldur.

Ahri took the space before Lee Sin could respond. "We need to find a way to send him home. You are the only other one in Ionia who can commune with the spirits in Runeterra, maybe they have answers."

"I do not know Ahri." Lee Sin said apologetically. "I have never heard of a so called 'Earth' before. He may just be a wandering soul."

He turned to Kaldur and appeared to stare at him further. "But you do not appear to be lying. You truly believe you are from this place."

"So, what can you do?" Kaldur asked.

Lee Sin stopped to ponder the question for a moment. "I can try to commune with the spirits at high moon, but if they know anything they still may not tell me."

"What about other monks?" Asked Kaldur.

Lee Sin shook his head. "There are only few others at this temple, and they are all elders. Those with the ability are few and far between, I am the only one here who can perform the task."

Kaldur felt disappointed but he refused to show it and just nodded his head in agreement.

"Now. As you are seeking answers, it would only be prudent for me to offer quarter. I will show you to where you will stay." And with that, Lee Sin lead the way through the double set of doors. The hallways they entered were not straight by any means. Each one twisted and turned in many fashions and could not create a discernable pattern for Kalur to follow, splitting in sections that appeared random and nonsensical. As Lee Sin led the way, he began to form many more questions in his mind, and instead settled on the simpler of them.

"So… are you actually blind?" Kaldur asked.

Lee Sin turned one ear towards Kaldurs direction before he replied. "Yes, I believe that is the case."

Kaldur nodded his head slowly, trying to make the situation less awkward than it was. "Ah, I see." He cringed at the comment, but Lee Sin didn't seem to react to it.

"You do not seem surprised." The monk replied.

Kaldur scoffed. "I am traveling with a woman who has anywhere from one to nine fox tails, a pair of fuzzy ears, and shoots magic out of her hands. At this point my suspension of disbelief is at an all time high." Kaldur waved his hand in the air. "The only thing that would surprise me now would be someone actually finding something for me to be surprised at."

Ahri snickered but Lee Sin said nothing and just nodded in response. The hallway came to a winding end upon a small wooden door. The wood seemed to be made of a dark sheen with silver embroidery on the outer edges that shaped to form a pairing of vines. As they opened the door, the inner room was quite simple and shaped into a cylinder. On the ceiling hooked a small platter that was interwoven with three branches, each connecting it to the roof. Inside the platter was a small crystal that emanated a bright green and seemed to light the room up as well. On the floor, to Kaldurs left lay a simple floor cot that contained a plain red blanket and a piece of straw padding which acted as a pillow. How they got the straw in here was a mystery to Kaldur but he shook his head and observed the other side of the room. A small desk sat near an interlaced window of colored glass, with a candlestick and container placed atop it; next to it sat a wooden bowl filled with matches. To Kaldur's right, a little closer to the door was a simple wooden closet. Moving over and opening it he could see many small shelves that were designed to hold clothes; in fact, there were a couple sets of robes that lay folded on the lower shelves.

"Did this room have a purpose other than a guest room?" Kaldur asked, not taking his eyes off the interior of the cabinet.

"The original purpose was not that of a guest room." Explained Lee Sin. "It was designed as quarters for many new young entries into the temple."

"Explains why it is so empty." Kaldur mused.

Lee Sin turned around to face Ahri, moving fluidly till his face pointed to her direction. "I will take you to your accommodations." He resumed, keeping his voice light and professional.

"What's the plan, Ahri?" Kaldur asked, shoving his things into the most available spot that looked like a corner.

"I will come for you tomorrow." Replied Lee Sin. "By then, hopefully, I will have some of the answers you seek."

With that, Lee Sin and Ahri left the room before Kaldur could ask another question. When the door clicked behind them, Kaldur took this opportunity to take some rest and he collapsed onto the bed.

The floor was much harder than he expected.

"Ow." He groaned.

With his bruised chest he still managed to find some comfort and realized that he was exhausted. One last breath away he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Over the next many hours he wasn't sure what was his dream and what was reality as he kept opening his eyes to find the lighting in his room was different. When they finally stayed open Kaldur was faced with a bright reflection from his multi colored window.

Deciding that he had enough lying about Kaldur slowly stood up and began to organize his belongings out of his pack. About five minutes in he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." He called.

A young man wearing one of the yellow and red robes walking in. He was short, about fife foot four, and his head was shaved to the point of being bald; he was not much younger than Kaldur himself. The man had dark brown eyes, pale skin, and slanted eyes that made it look like he was squinting.

"The master wish to see you." Announced the man in a choppy version of Noxian.

"Alright." Responded Kaldur, and the two of them escaped from the room into the maze of hallways that interwove the temple. By the time the next left turn had occurred, Kaldur and the young monk were outside in a courtyard. The courtyard was much less one made of stone murals and instead felt like an ancient grove that had once contained a long forgotten civilization. Trees surrounded a circular dais that was about twenty meters in diameter. The dais was covered in roots and vines that held colorful flowers but the center remained clear of all obstructions. In the center sat Lee Sin in a meditation pose, cross legged with both feet upside down on the tops of his thighs. Ahri was to Kaldurs left, sitting on one of the giant roots which extended to the yards center.

"So, this is where the party is." Announced Kaldur as he marched into the courtyard. The young monk nodded to Lee Sin and turned around leaving the three of them alone outside.

"So, what is the verdict from the spirits?" He asked, stopping a few feet away from Lee Sin.

No response.

"Uhhh… hello?"

Still no response.

Kaldur turned to Ahri. "A little help here?" He called to her.

"Don't ask me. He's been like that since I got here." She responded, keeping her focus up into the trees.

"Ok then." Kaldur shrugged and turned around to take a seat by one of the branches.

Time passed as slowly as he had ever seen it. Bored and exhausted, Kaldur waited for Lee Sin to move and announce himself, but the blind monk did not even shift a muscle for the next few hours. At first Kaldur kept his questions building in his mind, but as time passed he found that they began to slip away and were replaced with anger. Ahri herself became a little restless a couple of times during their wait, to which she responded by leaving the courtyard for a few minutes and then returning. By the time Kaldur watched her go for the fourth time, he was almost seething with impatience.

Convinced that Lee Sin was toying with him, Kaldur dared not rise up to strike the man in fear that he might win, so he decided to emulate the man instead. Taking a position near the base of the trees, Kaldur crossed his legs as well as he could and leaned against the tree. After a few well-placed breaths, the race was on. Kaldur wasn't sure what the monk was playing at, but he was sure that he was not going to lose by being an ass when this man was doing his best to help. It was only after the first half and hour like this that Kaldur's anger began to recede, and he began to feel a little calm flow over him.

"You can control yourself. That is good." Came the rustic voice of Lee Sin.

Ahri and Kaldur both jumped at the sudden sound.

"Kaldur, you seek many answers, but knowledge is power." Lee Sin began, keeping himself rooted to the center of the Dais. "With power it is hard to know if one can contain themselves before they obtain it."

"What do you mean?" Interrupted Kaldur, he almost didn't realize he was standing now.

Lee Sin sighed. "The spirits do not know where you came from, nor how you got here."

Kaldur felt his heart drop.

"All they know is that your appearance in Runeterra caused a shock throughout the world."

Kaldur looked up into the monks bandaged face. "So, no one knows anything?" He asked.

Lee Sin shook his head. "No. There is, however, something else of importance dwelling within you."

Kaldur wasn't sure if he should be interested or still disappointed that his one shot at home was shattered, curiosity seemed to win. "What is it?" He asked.

"It is something of worldly power." Lee Sin explained. "It is neither spirit nor man-made from this millennium, but something far more natural."

Kaldur approached Lee Sin and beckoned him to continue.

"You hold within you a world rune. This power is raw and nearly untamable, as much of the spirit realms powers are. As to how it got there I do not know, but it is safe to assume that this is the reason you are here."

"Awesome!" Kaldur exclaimed. "Then if we can research this rune then I can find a way back home."

Lee Sin continued despite Kaldur's outburst. "You may easily be able to find your way home with this information; the question is whether you will remain yourself by the time you do."

Kaldur froze, fear rising at what he had just heard. "What do you mean?"

"Much of power can be addicting, and many succumb to its desires with time." His head twitched in the direction of where Ahri sat.

"Yours is a power that will try to control you at every turn, and if you bow to its will then you too might become something this world fears. You may have already felt its temptations at one point."

An image in Kaldurs mind jumped to the voices he had heard in his head only a few days prior. They seemed so far away, yet the pressures they emanated were as real as anything he could understand.

Sensing a shift in Kaldur, Lee Sin continued. "I can teach you to harness it." He offered.

Keldur felt like the world dropped kicked him in the chest.

"Say that again?" he asked.

"Power like this is not something to take lightly. If you wish, I can show you how to achieve a modicum of guidance for this power. Enough to prevent it from controlling you."

Kaldur didn't know what to do with this news. He wanted to go home so bad, and now that he tasted his chance at it he didn't want to spend years in a temple training his mind to counteract the rune that was inside him.

"How long?" Kaldur asked, his gaze staring off into the distance.

"However long it takes for you to grasp the power."

"Can you give me an estimate?"

Lee Sin paused for a moment. "A couple months at least. Years at most. Perhaps forever. It depends on you."

"Ahri?" Kaldur called, not looking at her.

"Hmm?" She was now sitting on one of the roots, her hands folded under her head to keep them propped up.

"If I do this, how long will you stay?" He asked.

"I made a deal with you, remember?" She began. "I almost broke the deal once, I won't do it again."

Kaldur turned to her with his eyebrow raised. "Didn't you have a quest to get to?"

"I highly doubt you will take many years to finish this training." She mused. "But if it does, no matter how bored I will be, I will wait until you tell me to go."

"I am not your master of any caliber Ahri. You can technically go whenever you want." Kaldur responded, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

Ahri shook her head. "I'll stay. Just try to hurry it up."

Smiling, Kaldur turned towards Lee Sin. "I'll do it."

Lee Sin nodded his head. "Let us begin."


	5. Training is Hard

Chapter 4: Training is Hard

Kaldurs stomach was burning like it never had before. Here he was laying plank with his arms propping his upper body upwards while his hands held onto two circular wooden pillars that extended from the ground in front of him. His feet were placed together and standing on a third, much larger, wooden post which extended behind him.

"Down." Ordered the same raspy voice that had dominated his life for the last week.

Lee Sin was walking around him with his arms behind his back, his braid swaying back and forth to the movement of his feet.

"Down." He ordered again.

Kaldur complied and began to lower himself towards the ground, making sure to keep his hands firmly placed on the posts. The kick came almost out of nowhere when Kaldur got halfway down. With a jolt of energy, Kaldur pushed himself up as fast as he could and shoved himself off the two posts letting the kick sail under him. Kaldur reached out his hands and attempted to catch himself on the posts once more, but missed crashing to the floor.

"Ow." He called with his face plastered to the tree infested ground.

"You are too focused on dodging the blow. Stop focusing on one thing, rarely is there ever one problem." Lectured Lee Sin.

"Yes sir." Kaldur accepted, and he got back up on posts letting his stomach burn once more.

The last week had been the most brutal experience that Kaldur had ever been through in his life. Lee Sin had decided that his training would be a combination of physical and mental stimuli, which resulted in Kaldur heaving up his breakfast the very first day. According to Lee Sin, Kaldur not only needed to train his mind to deal with the power, but he also needed to train his body to be able to handle it; and what better way to do that then martial arts. In the first few days, Kaldur got more bruises than he knew what to do with, but his pure determination prevented him from complaining and thus asking to train more and more.

During his day Kaldur started with an early morning meditation, in the cold, in the rain, and in the presence of a hundred animals whose sole purpose was to annoy him. Afterwards, he would eat a small meal that signified a form of breakfast, and his strength training would commence. This exercise lasted for multiple hours and had hundreds of different methods in which Lee Sin decided to put Kaldur through. Many of them did not just build strength, but also formed a massive amount of endurance which was very apparent to Kaldur when he had to squat for half an hour with his arms extended to his sides. Due to this exercise, Kaldur nearly passed out from over exertion.

"Your body is very weak." Lee Sin explained. "In order to survive you must have the strength to travel far, and if necessary, fight."

Afterwards, Kaldur would take a small break to eat a meager lunch, making sure to eat every last bit he could muster. It was then that he was tasked to meditate once more for an hour. The goal of this, as Lee Sin had described it, was to be able to reach a sense of self and to allow for all the worries that one had to flow from the mind; Kaldur didn't believe it for a second, but he did it anyway. Next came his favorite part of the day: sparring. It was here where Kaldur was able to release all that vexed him the entire day, despite the fact that he could not land a single blow on to Lee Sin. Ahri participated in this as well from time to time, trying to coax Kaldur into attacking her as she easily fled and avoided him. Sometimes she would even toss one of her blue 'fox fires' at him to keep him on his toes; all the while laughing as she did it. The training was not always a task for him to hit one of his instructors, Lee Sin had taken it upon himself to teach Kaldur the finer points of all combat that every person, weapon or not, had to learn in order to hold ones own.

The final part of the day was made up of an odd combination of 'follow me' and a test in not dying, as Kaldur was forced to follow Lee Sin, at nearly running speed, through the jungle and forest. The pathway for each day was never the same, and whenever Kaldur thought he was keeping up, Lee Sin would throw another curveball at him by running up a tree and leaping from branch to branch. The only thing that made things worse was that Kaldur would not get dinner until he finished the course, which was almost impossible for him and resulted in him ending up late in the night. It was few and far between, but occasionally Ahri would follow him on his runs, and as he found that he fell from the trees often, she was there to make sure he didn't kill himself.

"You will learn balance over time." Lee Sin encouraged after their first try at the course. "Each person has their own methods of balance."

Finally, when he reached the temple, he would be greeted by a slightly larger, and often cold, meal that lay on a tray in his room. At first, he was too tired to eat and thus fell asleep before he could even take a bite. It was all too soon that he realized it was a mistake, and painstakingly made sure that he ate the food he was given. During his tenure here, Lee Sin had instructed him to remove his personal possessions from his room, which meant his clothes and comfortable tennis shoes. Instead he wore the robe of one of the young initiate monks, and he had to learn to clean it as well as make sure he was groomed before the morning meditation. Shaving was the hardest part for him as he had to rely on an actual blade, and an odd type of shaving cream that made his face sting, both of which he was unused to.

Now, as Kaldur kept pursuing his training, he was beginning to feel the rhythm of the regimen in which Lee Sin taught him to use.

"One more time." Ordered Lee Sin.

Kaldur began to move himself up and down in a repetitive motion on the wooden posts, waiting for the blow to come at any moment. It didn't. Trying to examine all that Lee Sin had said, Kaldur cleared his mind of any stray thoughts, allowing his eyes and his mind to observe everything around him: His breathing, his burning stomach, his body moving up and down, the ground, the trees, the animals around, the kick…

Kaldur shoved himself off the posts and narrowly avoided the blow from Lee Sin's left foot. As the sweeping sensation passed below him, Kaldur began to correct himself and noticed that his hands instinctively found their way to the posts in front of him. He landed with the grace of a drunk tiger, but he made it and instantly began the pattern again.

"Good." Complimented Lee Sin, keeping his pace around Kaldur. "Remember, your mind is like that of a puzzle. You like to solve everything as if it were a problem; that same mind will instinctively find a solution to more immediate problems through practice."

The best mark of a good teacher was one who understands his student; and Lee Sin understood Kaldur to a 'T'.

"Again." Commanded Lee Sin.

For the next few hours, the physical training continued and then they met for a small lunch break before the day moved on to combat training, then the horrid obstacle course; of which Kaldur didn't kill himself.

"Do you wish to give up?" Called Lee Sin from the trees.

Kaldur lay on the floor at the moment. As it so happened he had fallen from the trees once again and was taking a moment to let his lungs catch up.

"No…" Whispered Kaldur, still breathing heavily.

"I may have good hearing Kaldur, but even that was hard to catch."

"NEVER!" He cried.

"Alright, alright. You do not have to shout." Lee Sin called back.

With that Kaldur begrudgingly began to get up, allowing a small reprieve from the course. Shaking his head, he began to run once more and started to follow the path Lee Sin had marked, jumping from tree root on to the tree itself, before he climbed up.

"Your training is going to kill me, you know that." Kaldur called out, keeping his breath evenly spaced between words.

"Are you going to let it?" Came the response from the trees.

"No." Kaldur jumped a tree branch to the next, waving his arms in whirlwind to keep steady.

"Power requires balance. You must first learn to balance yourself." Said the voice once more.

"So you have told me. Multiple times."

"And I will say it once more until the lesson sinks in."

Kaldur sighed and continued to progress through his lesson. By the time they had returned, it was dark and a clear sky was here with the stars emanating their usual brilliance. Stars that Kaldur did not recognize. This was the first time in his training that Lee Sin had actually stayed with him to the end of his route. As they walked to the temple, Kaldur could feel his stomach begin grumble telling him that it was time to eat.

Entering the courtyard, it just occurred to Kaldur that this was the first time he was in the proximity of Lee Sin and he had time to think of a few questions.

"I have been meaning to ask you something." Kaldur began.

"Hmm?" Lee Sin kept his face forward, but Kaldur could tell he was listening.

"How did you become blind? Your scars suggest that it was an accident."

Lee Sin stopped where he was. It was the briefest moment of silence, but it was enough for Kaldur to warrant it an eternity.

"I misused power." He started. "I had a gift that was rare and powerful, and I was a fool because I believed I could control it."

Lee Sin took a deep breath before he continued. "In a fit of rage and sadness I used the power to take lives; and not knowing how to temper what I contained, the power injured me."

"Is that why you teach me what you do? So that I won't follow that same mistake?" Kaldur asked, he wasn't entirely sure if the question was tactful but he didn't know what else to say.

"Yes." Lee Sin didn't even hesitate. "You, however, are nothing like I was. You are determined, and headstrong to help others; but you are not as arrogant as I was. That, in and of itself, makes you more qualified to wield power than most."

It was in this moment that Kaldur seemed to notice any emotion on Lee Sins face for the first time. Behind the mask, behind the scars, Lee Sin was a man full of regrets; and he used those to define himself as a better man.

Nodding in acknowledgement, and with nothing more that he could say, Kaldur progressed to his room. Now that he was able to find it, he ate his dinner and went to sleep, constantly thinking that night about what his teacher had said.

The weeks progressed faster than Kaldur had anticipated. The routine that Lee Sin had him on was working, and within a month of constant physical vigilance he was starting to see results. The strength training was more intense than normal during his later weeks and it seemed to become as tough as Kaldur was getting stronger. During sparring practice, Kaldur was no longer just flailing blindly and getting knocked around by either Lee Sin and Ahri. Instead he began to form counterattacks and blocks, keeping his vigilance constant, and his stance always ready. Kaldur still was by no means able to strike Lee Sin or Ahri, but he was able keep his own and prevent the strikes that they pointed at him, despite the fact that he believed they were holding back.

"Keep your stance loose." Guided Lee Sin, circling Kaldur with his legs flowing like a snake.

"You just said keep it steady." Pointed Kaldur, his left hand up to his face and his right loose by his stomach.

Lee Sin was a blur of motion as he came straight at Kaldur. The monks body swerved to lay flat on the ground as his left leg struck to sweep under Kaldurs legs. Kaldur noticed and shifted his stance to jump above the kick and sweep downward for one of his own. The kick flew under Kaldur as he went into the air, but just as Kaldurs right leg fell down upon his instructor, Lee Sin swung to a standing position, parried Kaldurs kick past him, and struck a fist at Kaldurs exposed left ribs. Kaldur had barely any time to react as he pulled his left arm inward to absorb the blow.

Kaldur was sent flying.

Landing on the ground, Kaldurs breath escaped his lungs and he staggered on the floor with a fiery pain that marked his arm and ribs.

"Remember, if you cannot avoid the blow, go with it." Instructed his teacher.

Kaldur caught his breath for a moment, then stood up in his stance again, ignoring the pain in his side.

"Again." He called, watching Lee Sin.

It was the laugh that had both Kaldur and Lee Sin stop for a moment. Ahri was sitting on her tree that she had claimed as her own, and was watching as a pair of bird like creatures fought her for a piece of string that she had in her hands.

"Ahri. Do not torment the Del'gines." Lee Sin called disapprovingly.

"Aww." She whined back. "But they are so fun to mess with."

Kaldur stared back at his foxlike companion and only one question entered his mind: how can someone so mature during their time together devolve into something so childish at the drop of a hat.

"How about someone much more fun to mess with. Care to spar with Kaldur, Ahri?" Lee Sin Asked.

Ahri jumped down from her tree, and looked at Kaldur with the her mischievous smile armed. "Kaldur is always fun to mess with." She cooed.

Kaldur raised his hands in the air and looked up. "Dear universe, why me?"

Ahri laughed and took a small stance that brought her cleavage into clear view so Kaldur could see it. It was typical of her to do so, she fought against her opponent in a way that would leave them distracted and give her a clear advantage, the only disadvantage to this was that it only worked on the same person so often before they got wise to it. Kaldur was ready.

Ahri was the first to make a move and took a quick dash to the side of Kaldur, her tails swaying in a fray that was intended to draw his attention. Kaldur focused on her face, and as she drew close, he pivoted on his left foot allowing his right leg to swing in her direction.

Ahri didn't seem to expect the blow, but it didn't bother her as she tucked and rolled under Kaldur's leg to get behind him. Twisting around with grace, she dove straight at Kaldur with her hands stretched out like claws. Kaldur waited for a moment, allowing Ahri to close the distance before he used her momentum to spin him around, making his chest face her exposed side. Taking a step forward, Kaldur drove a punch with his left hand into her ribs, causing her dash to stop prematurely five feet from him.

Ahri glanced back. "You managed to actually hit me!" She exclaimed.

Kaldur didn't miss a beat as he closed the distance with a lunge as she tried to grasp what had happened. Using his right hand, he forced a hook to Ahri's face. Ahri ducked the punch with extreme speed and flicked her wrists with a snap. On que, three small blue flames erupted into existence around her, and with another wave they sailed at Kaldur who was trying to force his leg and arm to form a protective barrier.

The flames were notorious for never missing their mark.

With a large scattering of heat, Kaldur tumble backwards and rolled to a kneeled position facing his opponent. Feeling the burns ache on his skin, Kaldur gritted his teeth and kept his gaze locked on Ahri.

Time seemed to pause as Ahri didn't move and Kaldur got to his feet, regaining his stance; each waiting for the other to move.

It was only a flash as Kaldur noticed Ahri was holding her hand behind her back, and her eyes began to glow a solid blue. In a blink, Ahri was to Kaldur's left, her hand facing his direction. A small blue fox fire erupted from her palm at blinding speed, and struck Kaldur in his right shoulder. He staggered back, allowing his gaze to shift to the wound for a small moment. He was surprised to find that it was only minor, which meant only one thing: Ahri was holding back. Kaldur almost had no time to react as Ahri flashed to another location in a split second, arm raised again.

An Idea crossed his mind. Running straight at her, Kaldur pivoted to his left, letting the fire strike him again. Using the force, he spun three hundred and sixty degrees and didn't miss a step. As Ahri blinked once more, she began to appear to Kaldurs right, which allowed him to shift and face her direction again. The fire came like lightning as it was aimed at his legs, but Kaldur didn't make an attempt to dodge. Instead, he forced himself to role as the fire struck him, which resulted in closing the distance between himself and Ahri. Sliding on to the floor, Kaldur flawed his legs and kicked low, sweeping Ahri's legs out from under her.

Ahri didn't fall over, letting her tails keep her balance, but she managed to stumble just enough for Kaldur to rise up to his normal stance and strike a blow to her stomach. Ahri keeled over, and began to fall backwards in pain, all the while trying to stay upright.

This was Kaldur's chance and he took it, lunging into the air for a downward blow to her face. It was only too late that Kaldur noticed Ahri's eyes were instead glowing a pink mist. Dropping to the floor on his face, and rolling over onto his back, Kaldur felt for the briefest moment an unending wave of happiness that distracted him from the fight. When he came to, Ahri was atop him with a blue flame lit within the palm of her hand.

Lee Sin raised his hand. "Stop." He ordered, ending the fight.

Kaldur got up and brushed himself off, while Ahri walked away with a smile of satisfaction spread across her face.

"You did well Kaldur." Lee Sin complimented.

"Yeah, right." Kaldur scoffed in disbelief. "I still lost."

"Yes, but you implemented all the steps perfectly that I had taught you." Lee Sin explained. "Ahri is a Vastaya, which means she has naturally higher physical abilities than the average human. She also uses magic, which is a major part of how she fights."

"True, but you are human, and you didn't use any special powers." Kaldur argued.

"My abilities are implemented in my fighting style." Lee Sin constructed. "I have developed my abilities with my martial art; and while it is true that I have not used them in our matches, I fight as a martial artist."

Kaldur shook his head in disbelief.

"You, Kaldur," Lee Sin continued before Kaldur could get a word in. "Have only learned the basics of the combat arts, and have not found your own style. While it will still take you many years to achieve mastery over a particular style, it should be one that includes your power. Only then will you be able to truly progress as you so desire."

"Alright." Kaldur acknowledged, but inside still felt disgruntled.

Lee Sin took a deep breath, and cocked his head to the side. "I think it is time you learned to access your power."

Kaldur was shocked. "Woah, hold up. Not only do I not know how to do that, I haven't gathered anything from my meditation sessions. What if I am not ready?"

Lee Sin faced Kaldur, the sash over his eyes catching every facial movement he made. "Do you believe you are not ready?"

Kaldur thought for a moment. He wasn't ready, or at least he thought he wasn't; in all honesty he wasn't sure, the question was whether to tell his instructor.

"I don't know." He claimed finally.

Lee Sin was not a man to touch people unexpectedly, in fact he normally avoided it, but here his hand reached from behind his back and placed itself upon Kaldurs shoulder.

"I have seen you progress through this training with dedication far greater than many I know. You have reached a level that is greater than any common soldier you will ever encounter, and you are willing to go that distance even further than you are now. I believe you are ready."

Kaldur clicked his mouth shut, not realizing it was open. "Alright." He acknowledged finally, nodding his head.

Taking Kaldur to the end of the courtyard, Lee Sin sat across from him with his legs crossed and his hands held up to be in front of his chest. Kaldur did the same and focused on Lee Sins words.

"Every power is different." Lee Sin began. "Some can feel it as an essential part of their being, some look at it as an external part of themselves. The key is to be able to convey your intentions. Close your eyes."

Kaldur obeyed and closed his eyes, only able to hear his instructor.

"Imagine what you think the forces look like in your mind." Lee Sin instructed.

Kaldur at first didn't know what the power would look like, but as he thought that he began to remember the three voices he heard in his dreams. Three people began to appear in his mind.

"Got them."

"Keep silent." Lee Sin interrupted. "Now, focus on the details of the power. Color, sounds, emotions."

The first thought that came to Kaldur was that each person's voice was entirely different. The first was a voice that emanated nothing, it seemed fake at the same time as it felt smooth and manipulative. The second voice was one that reminded Kaldur of a barbarian; rough and angry, the voice emanated power and ruthlessness in an overpowering manner. The third voice was easily that of a child, one that was made up of simple wants and held all the power out of the three.

"As you focus on the details you need to remember…" Lee Sins voice began to drown out.

"So. You have come back at last." Kladur open his eyes. The area in front of him was nothing but a solid white abyss, and as it so happened, he was standing. Directly in his line of site stood three figures. The first was a large man, easily six foot six, and was as built as a man could get. He wore a robe that was in complete contrast to the white of the area that it pained Kaldur's eyes just to look at it. In the man's right hand, he held a large sword the size of Kaldur that was jagged on the edges and screamed menace at every corner. The mans face was scarred by burns and his eyes were as pitch black as the robe he wore. On the top of the man's head was a bit of buzzcut hair that was so thin, Kaldur couldn't tell the color.

The second figure didn't have a gender that Kaldur could identify, and was as purple as purple could get. It wore a hooded cloak that wrapped around it's body like silk, where it looked like the creature was thinner than Kaldur. Inside the hood, the creatures face was a pure moving swirl of different purple, and partially black, hues; the swirl itself reminded Kaldur of moving water if water moved any slower.

The final figure was that of a little girl. She had quite the small stature and wore a plain pink satin dress that was tied on with a sash. Her face was as pale as ones could get but her eyes were bright blue. Her hair was wrapped in a small pony tail but it was only made up of streaks of turquoise, sky blue, and forest green. In her hands was a doll, one that looked a lot like Ahri if she were made into a little figure. The girl turned and looked at Kaldur with a big grin on her face.

"Use us!" She yelled in a laughing voice.

"That's what I am here for." Kaldur replied.

"Well, it is about time!" Shouted the man with the sword, he began to take a step forward, the voice flooded with menace and power.

The hooded creature held out his hand in front of the barbarian. As the cover of the robe fell away from the hand, Kaldur could see it looked sickly, almost as if it was from a dead man. "You wish to use us?" asked the creature, the voice felt like nothing but it was clearly that of a man.

Kaldur didn't know why but he felt like it was a trap if he answered 'yes'.

"Why do you ask?" questioned Kaldur. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

The hooded figure showed no emotion, but his voice provided enough verification to Kaldur to know that the figure didn't like the question.

"We want to give you what you truly want." Sounded the figure.

"And what might that be?" Kaldur asked.

"Use us!" Responded the child.

The hooded figure turned its head in the direction of the little girl. "Hush child!" he hissed, and the girl turned back to her doll with a frown on her face. Turning his hood back to Kaldur the figure continued.

"You want power. Power to protect those close to you, and power to get home."

"Come on!" Shouted the barbarian. "Let us show you what real power is."

Kaldur thought for a moment before he came up with a good response. "It is true that I do desire power." He concluded. "But, not in the way that you want to give it to me."

The hooded figure cocked his head to the side. "What are you implying?" it asked.

"You want me to use you, but in turn you want to control me by doing so." Kaldur replied.

"Why you…!" Accursed the barbarian, still being held back by the hooded figure. It was here that Kaldur knew he was right on the mark.

"Not only that," Kaldur continued. "But you are trying to control this part of the power as well, aren't you?" He pointed at the little girl who was still playing with her doll.

"You want power Kaldur. We can give it to you. Your accusations do not change that." The hooded figure sounded calm at first with his response, but there was a hint of desperation in it.

"Maybe…" Kaldur began, taking a few steps towards the little girl. "But for now, I want power that I can guide, not one that wants to control me." Taking a knee in front of the girl, Kaldur held out his hand.

The girl looked up for a moment, and as she saw the hand a big grin passed across her face. "Use me?" She asked.

Kaldur nodded his head and replied with a smile; but just as the girl began to raise her hand up to his, an explosive force of darkness collided with Kaldur, sending him away.

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGEEEE!" Cried the barbarian, and it charged Kaldur, no longer locked by the hooded figure.

Kaldur didn't know it, but he was already on the floor staring up at a white canvas as the barbarian tackled him to the ground.

"If you will not take all the power we offer then I will give it to you by force." The barbarian was already atop Kaldur, his hands on his throat strangling him.

Kaldur couldn't breathe, he felt as if the image in his mind was swirling, and he was losing his own will in the process. Taking his time, Kaldur began to kick the man as hard as he could, making sure his blows landed in vital spots. The barbarian didn't even flinch.

"NO!" Shouted the child, and the barbarian flew off Kaldur with tremendous force. Kaldur tore in a deep breath to keep his consciousness awake, and he tilted to his side to see the girl was standing up, her eyes shining her brilliant blue, and her arms hugging her doll tight to her chest.

Making sure to stand up, Kaldur looked back to see the scarred man was standing up as well. "Do not stand in my way you child!" he growled, keeping his voice low and threatening.

"No!" cried the little girl.

This time it was the hooded figure that spoke. "Now, now. I think it is time we solved this little struggle and proceed as is needed." He spoke, moving in a position around Kaldur.

Kaldur looked around and realized he was in the center between all of the opposing personalities. With a look at each one of them, he began to feel the individual pressures of the figures build around him.

The world erupted.

Kaldur collided with each pressure at the same time, and as they were directed at him he felt he was being crushed, his will shifting to no longer be his own. It was as if nothing of himself existed anymore as Kaldur lay on the floor with the constant pain of three individual strengths fighting over him. The pain felt more and more like it would tear him apart and as he tried to struggle with it, the worse it got.

Everything built up at once within Kaldur; every emotion, every memory, and every thought came into being.

"STOP!" Erupted Kaldur, letting his energy explode out of him.

The pressures receded, and as the seconds passed Kaldur rose to his feet. All of the figures had backed away from him in that moment, and while they were all ready to jump on him at that moment, there was hesitation there.

"I will not let you take control of me." Kaldur said, keeping his voice relaxed. "I will use the power I so choose, not the ones that you force me to use." He turned towards the young girl who was holding her doll in fear.

"If you want me to use the power you have, then you are going to have to earn my respect." Kaldur ordered, walking over to the little girl.

"I believe," He continued. "that it is not the type of power one wields that will determine who he is, but how one uses that power."

Kaldur knelt down to the little girl again and held out his hand. "For now, there is only one of you who has been good to me so far. My hope is that, in the future, both of you will show me something I admire. Then, and only then, will I allow your use."

The girl reached out her small hand, and with a big smile on her face, took his.

"The world isn't like that Kaldur." Lectured the empty voice. "We are beings of a pure nature. We cannot change."

Kaldur smiled back at the young girl before he replied. "Maybe, but I am too stubborn to believe otherwise."

The white canvas world began to fade away from view, the girl, the hooded figure, and the barbarian all vanished from view and Kaldur was left looking at complete and utter darkness.

It seemed like a few minutes before Kaldur heard any other sounds.

"Kaldur?" came the familiar voice of Lee Sin.

Kaldur opened his eyes and viewed the world around him. Nothing had changed, nothing seemed out of place or damaged, the only difference was that Lee Sin and Ahri were standing next to each other and were focusing their attention on him.

"Is it gone?" Lee Sin asked Ahri.

Ahri nodded in agreement. "Yes. The aura is no longer present."

"What happened on your guy's end?" Asked Kaldur, making sure that he stood up to meet them; his legs felt unusually sore.

"As I felt an odd presence from you, Ahri told me that your magic was manifesting into an aura around you." Lee Sin explained.

Kaldur cocked his head to the side. "That doesn't seem that abnormal since I was communing with my power… what are you not telling me?" He pushed.

Ahri's breath was pulled in sharp before she spoke. "The aura felt like that of the void, as well as that of dark magic, a few times before it returned to normal."

"The Void?" Kaldur asked.

"It is, in essence, the realm of nothingness that is connected to Runeterra." Lee Sin began. "It is a creation of destruction, but not necessarily evil. All it is can be explained as a singular force to create the world into nothing."

"Sounds evil to me." Called Kaldur.

"And some view it as so."

Kaldur took a moment to reflect and began to consider the figures within his mind. One felt empty, and that would represent the power of the void, the other felt like it had malicious intent which could explain the dark power. The only one left was the child, and as Kaldur took the hand of her when he was in there meant that she was most likely the original form of magic within him. Now that his mind drifted to it, something began to feel a little different in Kaldur.

It was a feeling unlike any he had ever felt before. It was strong and sturdy, but also felt like water moving in and out of his veins. Every time his heart beat the energy flowed with it, he could feel it as it caressed his sore legs and added strength to them.

"So." Began Kaldur. "How do I use this?"

Lee Sin seemed so distracted by his worries about the void that he almost jumped by what Kaldur had said.

"You mean you have control over it?"

"Not really. More like I let it aid me." Kaldur explained.

Lee Sin gathered his normal composure, almost seeming to be at rest with himself. "That is good, you did it the correct way. You never try to control magic lest it controls you. You can, however, guide it."

"So… using it?" Kaldur asked again.

"A little impatient?" Lee Sin commented.

"No, just excited. Magic doesn't exist in my world."

Lee Sin seemed to entertain the thought of a magicless world for a moment before he pushed the thought aside and now focused on Kaldur.

"Now. Let us begin."

The next few weeks were of a different sort altogether for Kaldur as he struggled to grasp the nuances of his powers. His schedule was basically the same in terms of organization, but every lesson involved a new use to his powers altogether. During his meditation sessions, Kaldur focused on being able to manifest the power within him, and often times found himself talking to the little girl without meaning to. It was odd, to say the least, as the girl had no name she was willing to give him, and yet she was more than willing to give him suggestions on how to use his powers. During strength training, and the nighttime runs, Kaldur was provided an explanation on how to let the magic empower his physical being. As it turned out, he was decent at enhancing his own abilities, which allowed him to partially keep up with Lee Sin during their runs; but he also discovered that the magic, if used too often in that way, would cause his body to become fatigued and much sorer the next day.

"This is why we build the body." Lee Sin lectured. "As well as learn to use it in modicum amounts."

The one area that Kaldur could not figure out was manifesting the magic into a physical entity. At first, he tried to imitate Ahri, but every time he tried the magic dissipated before it could even flow from him. Lee Sin, on the other hand, took combat training a little more seriously and began to use small amounts of his power within their bouts. Lee Sin's abilities were terrifying to Kaldur, with every kick and punch that he struck, a spark of flames erupted from them, each caused a bit of burn on his robes. Lee Sin was smart enough, and careful enough, to build up his flames only when Kaldur was able to brace his body with his own magic, teaching Kaldur control and timing.

Kaldur felt only the wind brace his face as he flew through the air and into one of the many trees that surrounded the courtyard. With a loud "Thunk!" he landed on the tree. Taking a glance to his left, Kaldur saw that his shoulder was slightly singed, but his skin seemed no worse for wear.

"I think we are done for the day." Announced Lee Sin, standing up from the stance he was in.

Kaldur began to get up as well, but started to falter when his legs gave out from under him. He started to fall to the floor, but noticed that there was something under his arm and holding him up. When he looked to his right he saw that Ahri was bracing him up with a small look of worry on her face.

"I can keep going." Stated Kaldur, his voice was raspy and sore.

"No, you cannot." Ordered Lee Sin.

"I have to keep it up. I am not getting anywhere." Kaldur insisted, he noticed that he was leaning a little harder on Ahri than he thought.

"Kaldur, you are pushing yourself too hard. You will proceed no further until you find the form that your magic can easily take."

Kaldur almost tripped as he tried to walk farther, but Ahri caught him again. "Slowly." She said.

"What if you teach me more of martial arts?" He asked. "I already am progressing with manipulating the magic in my body, what if I was meant to do that?"

Lee Sin shook his head. "You may just be meant to follow the path of martial arts, but you yourself do not know that to be true. You must dig into yourself and find what it is that your magic will take the form of. I cannot teach you that."

Kaldur sighed, defeated. "What do I do?" He asked.

"I do not know, Kaldur." Lee Sin replied, an instant of sadness in his voice. "For now you need rest."

Kaldur didn't want to argue anymore and limped all the way to his quarters, all the while Ahri stayed by his side to even the weight. When he managed to get to his room, he almost collapsed onto his mat and was forced to pull against Ahri so that he wouldn't injure himself. Laying on his back, Kaldur looked up at the ceiling of his room with the sunlight and the rune-light clashing into brilliant colors.

"Why can't I get it?" He asked, more to himself than to Ahri who was sitting on his desk chair looking at him.

"It took me many years to be able to manifest my magic." Ahri explained. "Some parts were far easier for me, others took time."

"Yes, but how did you figure out what form it would take?" Kaldur replied, grunting from his bruised ribs.

Ahri made a deep sigh and stood up from the chair and moved over to the far side of the circular room. In that corner was a bowl full of water and a large tan towel. During the entire time he was here, the hardest part for Kaldur was not the training, it was trying to clean himself without soap or shampoo. This was what he had found to use, and as Ahri picked it up to bring it over Kaldur found that his eyebrow shot up.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice betraying his warry nature.

"Kal, do you trust me?" It was her usual question, one that he had not heard in a while.

Begrudgingly, Kal turned his head to face the ceiling. "Yes."

Ahri nodded and put the bowl of water down, dipping the towel into it as she knelt on the floor next to Kaldur.

"I never really chose what form my magic would take." Ahri began. She pulled the towel out of the water and began to wipe Kaldur's brow with it, making sure to push his now longer hair out of the way.

"I found that the magic formed to whatever I needed it to be." She continued. "And as time passed, I was able to guide it in ways that I felt comfortable with."

"So… what? Am I supposed to have a need before I use it?" Kaldur analyzed. He was beginning to close his eyes as Ahri motions felt comfortable.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She was now trying to scrape off the sweat, and dirt, that marked under his neck. "It depends on who you want to be."

"Who I want to be?" Kaldur was now confused.

Ahri's movements were sudden as she slipped the robe off of his shoulders and down to his chest. At first Kaldur was surprised, but he felt too tired to stop her. She continued her cleaning, making sure to rinse out the towel in the water and scrape off the grime that built on his shoulders.

"Do you want to be a killer?" She asked.

"No." The response was automatic.

Ahri nodded her head. "Then try thinking of something that involves that aspect. There you might find what you want to be."

Kaldur was unsure what she meant, but at the moment his concentration was beginning to waver, and he felt a wave of dreariness pass over him. It didn't take long as Kaldur closed his eyes and evened out his breathing, falling asleep to the sound of moving water and a scrubbing towel.

Kaldur awoke the next morning without his clothes on, and was no longer sore from the previous days training. As he got dressed, he noticed that a platter of breakfast had already been prepared for him by his door. Making sure that he ate every last morsel, he got prepared for the days training. Exiting his room, Kaldur followed the wandering hallways out into the courtyard where he noticed that the sun had just barely lit the sky, and the trees were still glowing with brilliant colors. As he looked around he noticed that he was the first person outside, which was a rarity in and of itself. Taking his time, Kaldur moved to the center of the circular dais and prepped for a bit of meditation, as was his usual routine.

Taking a seat in the center, and crossing his legs, Kaldur tried to clear his mind of every thought, question, or emotion that had entered his morning mind. Yet, Ahri's advice couldn't escape his mind this time, and he began to contemplate what it was that he wanted to be. Kaldur knew what he wanted, but not necessarily what he thought about himself. In almost every case, Kaldur thought of himself as a nerd; a man who was obsessed with fiction and the details on how the world worked. This almost brought him to more frustration than anything as this world was a puzzle waiting to be solved; at least in his eyes. Yet as for what he wanted to be he wasn't sure, his future always seemed bleak which in turn made him bury himself in the world of video games. But as Kaldur thought about it, he began to notice a pattern in his life; he always wanted to play the hero. In every game, in every life situation, Kaldur was a meddler; he always inserted himself where he didn't belong and always wanted to do the good thing despite there always being options against it. Yet while he always acted that role, Kaldur was never sure if that was who he truly was, and thus wanted to be it.

Kaldur paused mid-thought.

That was it, that was what he wanted to be. Kaldur wanted to be the hero; a man who did right by others and could be relied on when trouble called. The problem was, he didn't have the personality for it; or at least he believed that to be so.

With his question answered Kaldur focused on trying not to focus, which turned out much harder and contradictory in nature than Kaldur had intended, and for the next hour he sat in meditation with his mind a blur.

"I see you have started early." Commented Lee Sin.

Kaldur opened his eyes to see that his instructor was standing in front of him. Lee Sin was a little different today as he wore an open-ended jacket that covered his back and arms, with many unfamiliar patterns draped across the red background.

"Early?" Kaldur repeated, raising his eyebrow.

"It is earlier in the day than you normally would arrive." Lee Sin commented. Circling the courtyard in his usual smooth fashion.

Kaldur looked to the sky and realized that his teacher was right. The light that he had seen in the sky was now as bright as it would be had he arrived on time, and the lights within the trees began to dim.

"Ah. So, should I continue then?" Kaldur asked, keeping his voice low and calm.

"I believe that if you started early we should keep to the regimen. Why not begin now."

Kaldur shrugged his shoulders and got up. For the next few hours, strength training began as normal. The only difference was that Lee Sin directed that Kaldur could not use his magic during these exercises. Kaldur wanted to ask why but decided their was a purpose and didn't argue. After the exercises, Kaldur met with lunch and another hour of meditation. Then came combat training.

"We should skip this for today." Began Lee Sin. Moving to acquire his jacket that had been removed during the day.

"What!? Why?" Kaldur was aghast, he was looking forward to this all day.

"You have pushed yourself too hard." Lee Sin explained. "If we start now you are going to injure yourself, causing your training to be prolonged even further."

"But I am running out of time!" Kaldur complained. "If I can just get this to…"

"No." Lee Sin interrupted. "You are a good student Kaldur, but you need to learn when to hold back. If you don't it will kill you."

"Just one session." Kaldur pleaded. "I have an idea, but I don't want to lose it."

"No." Lee Sin ordered.

"Please." Kaldur tried, keeping his face on the floor.

"Give him a chance." This time it was Ahri who responded, but she was looking at Lee Sin.

Lee Sin shook his head. "If the man doesn't learn to hold in his effort, he will break himself."

"That is not who he is Sin." Ahri commented. "He will learn through time, but he cannot learn that in a dojo or temple. He has to learn it through experience."

Lee Sin took a deep sigh before he turned to Kaldur. "If we do this then I am going to show you what it means to push yourself too hard. Are you prepared for that?"

Kaldur nodded his head. "I understand." And he took his stance.

Lee Sin didn't even hesitate as he drove a kick into Kaldurs stomach, shoving the young man backwards. Kaldur could feel the heat off of Lee Sin's foot but he ignored the burn, trying to build up his magic within him.

Lee Sin seemed to notice that Kaldur was not going to strike back and kept the assault on him. Kaldur parried with his legs, and his arms, making sure to flow with the blows so that the damage was minimal. With every blow Kaldur began to build his magic, allowing it to manifest within his hands till it was all but overflowing. In his mind, Kaldur envisioned a person who could defend others as well as attack his enemies without killing them. He imagined himself being quick and sharp as the blows from Lee Sin rained down upon him, causing the burns to erupt all over him.

Kaldur released the magic in his hands, and as it flowed out of his hands he guided it into the shape he wanted it to be.

Lee Sin did not slow his attacks and rotated for a kick to Kaldurs head just to the right of Kaldurs right shoulder and keck. It was here that the blow stopped mid strike, just short of Kaldurs head. In between Lee Sin's foot and Kaldurs head was a sword, one that Kaldur held in his left hand and braced on the blade with his right in a downward diagonal pose. The sword was made of swirling blue magic, and glowed just as brightly. The handle was a simple grip that extended to about two hand lengths, while the blade was thin, straight, dual edge, and was about three and a half feet long. Near Kaldurs hand was a simple round cross guard that reminded him of a katana, and the blade itself felt weightless as he held Lee Sins leg ajar.

Taking this opportunity, Kaldur pushed away Lee Sin's leg and stepped forward with is left leg and brought the blade of the sword down upon his teacher. Lee Sin did not make an attempt to dodge the strike as he stumbled backwards into the oncoming blade. The blade passed right through Lee Sin causing him to grunt with pain.

Kaldur immediately let go of the magic and rushed to his teacher's side. He had not been paying attention, and as he was too excited about his accomplishment, Kaldur never noticed that the blow could have been lethal. As he got closer, Kaldur noticed that there was no blood on his teacher's chest, no cut whatsoever.

"What… What happened?" Kaldur asked, watching Lee Sin stand up straight.

"That was a good blow, Kaldur." Lee Sin remarked.

"But… That should have killed you!" Kaldur commented with worry and confusion.

Lee Sin nodded. "That should have, if you wanted to kill me."

Kaldur raised another eyebrow.

"Magic is directed by the wills of the person who wields it. If that person does not wish to kill, but to impair, then it can be done. Your blow just now took quite a bit out of me."

Kaldur looked up and down at Lee Sin. "You seem fine to me."

"Practice." His teacher commented.

Kaldur looked down at his hand for a moment, then as he poured the magic into his hand his mind began to form the sword once more.

"A Sword then. That is your weapon of choice." Lee Sin commented, and air of pride spiking his voice.

Kaldur stepped a little back from his teacher and began to swing it around to test the weight and feel, it seemed right.

He had, finally, found his weapon.


	6. To Enter a Journey

Authors Note: Thank you all for your support of this story. Again I am sorry this is later than expected, there was a few problems I had writing it. I did have a question for you: the scene that contains the song in it, should that be kept or removed. Thoughts? I had written it as a character development scene but it might have been over board. Again, thank you all and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 5: To Enter a Journey

"Let the magic flow through you. Do not try to grasp it." Ordered Lee Sin.

Kaldur was standing on a wooden pole about five feet off the ground where around him were dozens of similar poles staked to the ground. He wasn't entirely sure how they got them all out here in the courtyard but at the moment he had no time to think about it. Standing with one foot off the pole, Kaldur was trying to balance while, at the same time, call upon his magic to make the sword.

For the past few weeks Kaldur's training had stayed relatively the same in comparison, the only major difference was the combat training, in which he no longer was able to practice martial arts. Instead, Kaldurs main focus was the control, or rather guidance, of his magic. Due to the lack of knowledge on being a swordsman, Lee Sin claimed that he did not want to corrupt Kaldurs future training by instilling slightly more advanced techniques into his student.

"Your magic is overflowing, let it trickle through your hand, not through your entire body."

Kaldur adjusted his pressure and tried again, attempting to keep his balance. Kaldur was surprised to see that he was not wavering on the post. Letting the magic move through him, Kaldur slowly released his hold of the magic on his hand and allowed it to flow through. Slowly and methodically, the energy appeared in his left hand and began to wander away. Making slight corrections, Kaldur guided the magic from its water like form to the sturdier form of a sword within his hand.

"Good." Complimented Lee Sin. "Now, again but faster."

Sighing, Kaldur did as he was told, and released the magic for another try. Over the next few hours Kaldur practiced the steady release and shape of his magic, forming it and deforming it over and over. Over the last week he had not made that much progress, it was clear that he was getting faster, but not as fast as he would have liked.

"Instantaneous use of magic is hard for most who are not masters of their craft." Explained his teacher. "It may take you years to get it as fast as you would like it to be."

Kaldur hated that he was slow, and as the time progressed, he began to feel impatient and a hatred towards that impatience. He was, however, pleased to know that his balance and hand to eye coordination was improving as he was able to roughly keep up with Ahri and Lee Sin during their night run. Kaldur even found that he had a little extra time during the night which allowed him to work on Ionian script and the language, though he was far from knowing much.

As the day came to an end, it was a little part that Kaldur wound up sitting in the middle of the courtyard, staring up at the night sky. Looking at the stars, Kaldur found that he missed home, and that each and every star up in the sky was one that he did not recognize. He wanted to move on, to find his way back, and the longer he stayed here the more this feeling would continue to grow.

"What is on your mind?" Came a calming voice from behind.

Kaldur turned his head to find Ahri was leaning on a large white tree with red leaves; all the while the glow of jeweled branches seemed to wander about her, in tune with her being. Moving away from the tree, Ahri came and sat next to Kaldur, her tails swaying around behind them in a smooth rhythmic pattern.

Kaldur turned his head back towards the sky and propped his hands on the ground behind his back. "Nothing much."

Ahri turned her head in the direction of the stars as well, and after a few brief moments, broke the silence. "You know, many have looked at the stars in the sky. Some say they are their ancestors manifest into guiding lights, others believe they were put into the sky by the gods to light the dark."

Kaldur couldn't help but laugh. Ahri looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Sorry." He apologized. "That's a good thought but it's not what they are."

Ahri looked affronted, but decided against talking and just kept her gaze.

Kaldur cleared his throat. "I'll admit I do not know what really created the stars in the first place. But a star is just another sun, but very very far away."

Ahri still looked confused, but instead of her irritated eyes they were the eyes of interest that looked back.

"In my world, my people have actually explored space … or, rather the night sky." Kaldur explained.

Leaning back further and pointing his hand upwards he continued. "See that black stuff? My people call that 'space'. As far as we know, it is infinite. Another way of putting it is that space is a vast area that extends so far that no matter how fast, or how far, you travel you will never reach the end."

Ahri perked up a little and edged in closer to Kaldur, her eyes were aglow with their normal yellow light, and a hint of curiosity.

"Anyway," Kaldur began, turning his gaze back to the stars. "If you remember the sun in the daytime, a star is like a sun that is so far away in space that it looks very small to us. And because space is infinite, some stars are so far away that we cannot even see them."

Ahri's look of confusion returned causing Kaldur to look around for a prop. Finding one, he stood up and walked over, grabbing a large stone in his hand. Returning to Ahri he held the stone in front of her.

"So, how big does this stone look to you now?" He asked, keeping the stone in place.

Ahri cocked her head to the side. "The size of a small fruit." She answered, not knowing where this question was leading.

Kaldur then returned to where he found the stone and turned around, holding it in front of him. "How big is it now, to your eyes?"

Ahri pulled up her hand and made a pinching gesture in front of her eye, keeping a small space in between her finger and thumb. "The size of a bug."

Realization dawned on her face.

"Oh, so how an archer may judge the distance of a well-placed arrow?" She clarified, her tone showed a little excitement.

"Exactly." Kaldur affirmed, taking his seat next to her.

"So, to get back to what I was saying, my world has been able to explore that space above us; though it is quite a slow process."

Ahri returned her gaze to the stars above, her eyes were glowing with newfound wonder. "Your world sounds amazing." She commented.

Kaldur returned his gaze to the sky, but in his heart, he felt something sink. "Yeah… it is a good place to live … sometimes." As thoughts of his family and friends arose in his mind Kaldur's homesickness returned, but at the same time his heart began to feel regret; this world has been good to him and he felt that he couldn't just leave it. In his world Kaldur never felt like he fit in anywhere, he was mostly an enigma in which all but his closest friends and family could ever accept. He never thought of himself as 'good' at anything; and while the world moved on with people of rare talent taking the lead, people like Kaldur were left behind in the dust, no matter how hard they tried.

Kaldur shook his head, removing the thoughts from his mind. Turning back to Ahri he was surprised to find that she was no longer looking at the stars, but at him instead.

"What?" he asked warily.

"Nothing." She remarked, turning her wandering eyes back to the nighttime sky.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kaldur did the same and for the next hour or so they sat in silence, all the while gazing upon the moving starlight.

The next morning Kaldur got dressed, groomed, and ate his morning meal when he heard a small knock on his door. Getting up, he opened it to find a young apprentice monk standing in a half bow. The man was short, about five foot four, and had a slight tan color to his skin. As the young man stood up straight he could see that the man had a slight chubby complexion for his head and he had a buzzed head that protruded black hair. His eyes were a dark brown and held a small slant to them that leaned upward.

"Can I help you?" Asked Kaldur, keeping his distance.

"Folwow me." Order the young man. It was clear that he did not know the Noxian language, and was told to say certain words despite his heavy Ionian accent. Shrugging his shoulders, Kaldur motioned for the man to lead the way and quickly followed behind.

The hallways were long and disordered, but Kaldur had gotten used to them with time and as they progressed through the corridors he found that he knew where they were headed. Emerging through the golden laced double doors, Kaldur found himself in the main cavern where he first entered the Temple. In the center of it stood Lee Sin and Ahri, each talking in a hushed voice that refused to echo in the large room. The young apprentice stepped away from Kaldur and gestured for him to continue.

"So, what be the schedule change for?" Kaldur asked as he approached, keeping his tone light and humorous.

Ahri greeted him with a small smile while Lee Sin kept his normal unmoved composure.

"It is time." Lee Sin spoke.

Kaldur waited for Lee Sin to finish the statement but it never came. "Time for what?" He asked.

"It is time for you to continue your journey." Answered Lee Sin.

Kaldur cocked his head to the side. "I thought I still had a lot of training to go? Why the sudden change?"

"I can no longer teach you without corrupting your future promise as a swordsman."

"Are you sure?" Kaldur asked. He wasn't sure why, but he almost felt unprepared.

Lee Sin stood in silence for a moment before he turned to face Kaldur. "Kaldur, you desire to return home, and you cannot complete that in here. Many learn most on their own journey; you must do the same."

For the first time, Kaldur fell silent. With a nod of his head, Lee Sin walked over to him.

"Fear not Kaldur, I will not leave you without help. On the southern isles of Ionia is a place known as Wuju that holds a master who can help you."

"Wuju?" Kaldur perked, finding his voice once more.

"I have left instructions with Ahri to help guide you there."

Kaldur felt aghast at this information, not only was he to continue his journey but he was to learn from another master. "Thank you." He finally said.

Lee Sin nodded once more and pointed to the far end of the dome-like room. "I took the liberty of bringing your belongings here. When you are ready you may leave."

Kaldur nodded his head and gathered his things. After a little time, he was back in his original garb, complete with comfortable shoes. As he placed his pack on himself it felt much lighter than it was when he first entered the temple, and Kaldur took that as a confirmation of his progress. With Ahri beside him, Kaldur walked to the edge of the Monastery's entrance. Taking a deep breath, he remembered his time here and promised to never forget it as he spun around once more to look at his master, who was standing in the center of the hallway.

"Lee Sin!" He called. Placing his hands to his sides, Kaldur took a deep bow. "Thank you for all that you have done for me. _May the spirits guide you._ " It was a traditional farewell for Ionian monks, and Kaldur had taken the time to learn how it was pronounced in case this event came to pass.

As Kaldur stood up, he wasn't sure whether it was a trick of the light, but he was almost sure that he saw a small smile creep upon his teachers face. Taking that as a blessing of farewell, Kaldur turned around again and began down along the path.

"I seem to be saying goodbye a lot." He remarked to Ahri, as they followed the well-worn steps to the forest below.

"It is the price all travelers must pay." She replied.

Kaldur let the answer sink in for a bit before he sparked the questions again. "So. Where are we headed?"

"To the ruined city of Wuju." Ahri explained. "None live there today, but one is known to return from time to time."

"Who?" asked Kaldur, making sure not to trip on the tree roots that made the path.

"A master of a sword style known as Wuju. Some call him Master Yi."

"Wow. Real creative on the name." Kaldur said sarcastically. "Ever met him?"

"No."

"So … if we are supposed to keep traveling…" Kaldur paused for a moment. "Let me rephrase that. While I do not mind having a teacher who can train me in the use of the sword, I thought I was supposed to continue my journey. Am I going to have to sit there for another couple months as well?"

Ahri laughed. "At moments you can be quite impatient. But, no. From what Lee Sin has said, the master travels from place to place; he can train you while we make our way to Raikkon."

"What's in Raikkon?" Kaldur asked, unable to stop the flow of questions.

"A ship. One that will take us to Piltover."

Kaldur shook his head trying to remember the city. "Oh. You mean the scientific one that you mention when we were in the pass."

"Yes."

"Wait." Kaldur thought for a moment, while seeming to keep his feet steady without notice. "Does this mean that the city might hold some clue as to how I can get home?" He asked.

"It might." Ahri answered as a matter of fact. "My memories claim it to be the most knowledgeable place in all of Runeterra. Besides, I have never been there myself."

Kaldur paused and looked back to notice that Ahri had a bit of a glow about her. In their time together, he had learned that she loved to travel, which was part of the reason why her agreement with him was made in the first place as it gave her a cause to go to knew places. He suspected early that she wanted to see the world with her own eyes rather than see them through memories of those she had taken, this just confirmed that suspicion.

"You know." Kaldur began casually. "It has just occurred to me that I have not heard a single bit of music since I have been here."

Ahri cocked her head to the side curiously.

"When I wake up," Kaldur sang. "Well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you."

Ahri moved up closer.

"When I go out," He continued. "Well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you."

Standing next to him Ahri gave him the oddest look of confusion and wonder that Kaldur had ever seen.

"If I get drunk. Well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you."

"If I haver up."

"Well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you."

Kaldur kept looking at the horizon and focused on walking, knowing that if he were to see Ahri's face once more he would burst out laughing.

"But I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more."

"Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door."

Ahri snickered for a moment before Kaldur continued.

"When I'm working, yes I know I'm gonna be,

I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you.

And when the money, comes in for the work I do,

I'll pass almost every penny on to you.

When I come home, well I know I'm gonna be,

I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you.

And if I grow-old, well I know I'm gonna be,

I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you."

Kaldur turned his body sideways started moving his arms back and forth to the rhythm of the song. Ahri, meanwhile, looked to be trying too hard not to laugh.

"Well I would walk five hundred miles,

And I would walk five hundred more.

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles,

To fall down at your door."

"La da da da, la da da da,

La da da da, la da da da.

Da da dum diddle dum diddle,

dum diddle la da da."

Ahri could no longer contain herself and she let out a hysterical laugh, only to be drowned out by the half laugh, half sing, of Kaldur's next verse.

"La da da da, la da da da,

La da da da, la da da da.

Da da dum diddle dum diddle,

dum diddle la da da."

"When I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be,

I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you.

And when I'm dreaming, well I know I'm gonna dream,

I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you.

When I go out, well I know I'm gonna be,

I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you.

And when I come home, yes I know I'm gonna be,

I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you.

I'm gonna be the man who's coming home with you."

Ahri could barely breath, and Kaldur was right along with her as they stopped walking for a moment.

"Care to join me?" He asked, eyes still watered from laughter.

Ahri looked up. "It is quite the odd song." She remarked. "I do not know the lyrics."

"You don't need to." He instructed. "After I say 'la da da da' you just repeat it back with the same tone."

"I couldn't…" She began but Kaldur was already singing.

"Well I would walk five hundred miles,

And I would walk five hundred more.

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles,

To fall down at your door."

"La da da da." Kaldur began, urging Ahri to complete it.

"La da da da." Ahri sang, her voice was smooth with no error, almost made to carry a note.

"La da da da."

"La da da da."

"Da da dum diddle dum diddle, dum diddle la da da." Kaldur spread a big grin across his face.

"La da da da."

"La da da da." Ahri kept up.

"La da da da."

"La da da da."

"Da da dum diddle dum diddle, dum diddle la da da." Kaldur backed away a little bit, moving to finish the song.

"And I would walk five hundred miles,

And I would walk five hundred more.

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles,

To fall down at your door."

With the song over Ahri had regained a little of her composure, but kept a small smile. Kaldur, on the other hand, was still giggling like a child before he could move on.

"The songs from your culture are… interesting." She observed. "But still a delight all the same."

"That song was actually one that my family used to sing whenever we went hiking." He explained. "We have hundreds of different songs like that."

"So, you were a musician in your world?" Asked Ahri.

"No." Kaldur answered, shaking his head. He actually couldn't believe they hadn't covered this before. "No, I was an engineer. I just sang music for fun because my family always liked playing music a lot."

Ahri looked back at him for a moment, contemplating her words. "Then perhaps we can sing as we travel, it will make the initial journey less dull."

Time pressed on for the two of them and Kaldur was relived to see that the music made the journey go that much quicker. According to Ahri there was a small port on the southern tip of the isle and with that they would find a boat which would take them to the Isle that contained the remains of the city Wuju. Taking them about three days, Kaldur and Ahri met with a small collection of buildings that lived on the southern side. After a few questions and direction, Ahri and Kaldur were beset upon the flowing channel that lead to the southern half of Ionia.

Due to the extended nature of the trip, Kaldur found that he missed part of the routine which was beset upon him at the temple by Lee Sin. In many cases, Kaldur despised the training as it caused much of his pain the last two and a half months. Yet, here he stood with an abundance of energy that he had never experienced before, and thus wanted to continue his own training repertoire in order to stay in the condition he was in. Unlike the beginning of his journey, this trip was far easier for Kaldur; he breathed easier, walked faster, and overall felt like it was a leisurely stroll in the park. When they parted the minuscule docks, Kaldur continued whatever training that came to his mind while they waded through the waters of the current; whether it was magic or physical related. During these moments, Ahri was prone to join him so as to keep company, and with the passing of time came closer coordination between the two.

"You have to keep your magic around the orb." Ahri directed.

Kaldur stood across from Ahri on the deck of the boat. It was a small thing, but the captain and his crew of three said nothing was faster through the channel. Kaldur was letting the magic flow through his hand and holding one of Ahri's orbs within it, attempting to make sure it didn't burn him. In order to practice his magic control, Kaldur had asked one of his many questions to Ahri and wanted to know if a person could manipulate another person's magic. Ahri claimed to recall something like it in her memories but had never tried it in practice. As it turned out, one could but it required both parties to be willing and able.

While this was surly a surprise to the both of them, Kaldur was so far into the groove of the moment that he suggested a game to be played with the orb. As it turned out, Ahri normally found ways to entertain herself with it, very much like a dog would a ball or a cat would a string. However, Kaldur surmised that this game could help him with control as well as build a little teamwork between the two of them.

"Alright, ready?" Kaldur asked, looking up at her. Ahri nodded.

"Remember, you either toss it back to me with both hands pushing away from you, or you hit it with your under arms while your hands are locked together."

Ahri nodded once more, and Kaldur lifted the orb up striking it with his left hand that was shielded in his magic. The orb sailed in an arc to Ahri, and she lifted her hands up and let the orb rest for a moment before she tossed it back into the air away from her. Kaldur slid to where the orb was going to land and laced his fingers together, locking his hands. Pointing his under arms up to the ball, and keeping his arms straight, he bumped the orb away as it struck his shielded forearms.

Kaldur had created a magic volleyball.

Ahri seemed to enjoy the game as much as Kaldur did, and through the next week of time on the channel they played it at least once a day as an excuse to get away from the boredom which seemed to embrace the boat.

Training and volleyball were not the only activities that occupied Kaldur's time when he worked on the boat. Using the captain and his crew as 'test subjects' Kaldur wanted to keep practicing his Ionian vocabulary, despite his inability to write in it. While he was by no means a linguist, Kaldur found certain patterns in their speech which allowed him to get a feel for the way they talked. In many cases, Kaldur was reaffirmed by the fact that he was terrible at language when the crew would laugh at a statement he made with all the intent to be serious. It wasn't entirely a lost cause as the crew caught on and tried to help him, all the while trying not to laugh at his expense.

When the first week of travel was over, Kaldur and Ahri made a quick stop at another port village near the city of Vlonqo to gather supplies. Staying for a day, and making sure that they had everything, they continued along their way south till the channel split. With a little nudge, the boat proceeded West to the broken isle where they finally landed in the region of Bahrl. The Isle was a little more open than the rest of Ionia, and while the colorful trees and wildlife were persistent, it was the clear and open fields of red and green grass that lay the land. Each patch they walked across was a little taller than Kaldur's waist, and he pondered the unending worry that people could be hiding in the vast tundra and he wouldn't even know it.

In the distance, and growing ever closer, was a lone mountain that towered above the rest of the land, and while they proceeded to move around it, Kaldur couldn't help but thinking that something lay up there like the rest of Ionia seemed to do. It took them a few days to reach, but Kaldur was greeted happily with his first Ionian city Tevasa. There were no walls like he imagined, but the city was alive all the same. Many people walked around the busy streets while close knit buildings huddled together that were made to intertwine with the trees beside them and the ground below them. The inhabitants seemed to travel for miles as the city was imbedded from the bottom of the mountain to the adjoining coast. However, what surprised him most was not the Ionian architecture or the variety of creatures that walked about the streets, some which he had never seen before, it was everything that was not of Ionian nature. Some structures existed in the town that were completely the opposite of what he had perceived Ionians to be; made of metal and stone, these structures were few and far between, but were scattered about in clusters as if to defend each other from some obstacle in their path. These buildings were sure covered in the greenery that was part of Ionia's landscape, but instead of melding with it they seemed to defy it.

Turning his gaze from the buildings to the people, Kaldur started noticing differences here as well. Many of the people were clearly Ionians, even the occasional Vastaya walked past them, each displaying completely different animal characteristics. Yet some didn't look Ionian at all; they were varied in appearance but each one was closer to Kaldur's physique than those he had seen before.

"Noxian's." Ahri, interjected. She had noticed Kaldurs look of confusion when they entered the town.

"A few years ago, Noxus had invaded Ionia and began a terrible war. While the war was won, there are many remains of the tragedy that befell us. Some Noxians decided to stay."

"Ah…" Kaldur looked around. "You could have told me that earlier. Now I get why some people look at me like I kicked their dog."

Ahri twisted her head in confusion, raising an eyebrow. "Kicked their dog?"

"It's a pet that people from my world have." Kladur began. "We take care of them, keep them and raise them as …" Kaldur noticed Ahri was still giving him the look of confusion. "Never mind. I'll tell you later." He concluded, making sure to avoid her gaze.

"This town used to be so small." Ahri mentioned, her eyes betrayed the gaze of a memory.

"You've been here before?" He asked.

"Many years ago." She answered, keeping her voice low. "When the war first started, the town was nothing more than a handful of people. I helped defend them again many Noxus raids, but when the war began to dwindle I was forced to leave."

Kaldur could almost feel the guilt emanate off of her words and found that he didn't know what to say.

Making a reassuring smile he looked farther at the city. "It seems like they did alright. While the war may be over, the town … or rather the city … is doing well."

Ahri didn't react.

Taking a sigh Kaldur pressed on. "You can't change the past Ahri. Just look at the bright side: The town was not destroyed and instead the people are happy here as their home grows."

"Maybe…" She trailed off and Kaldur got the sneaking sensation that he should shut up.

For the next few hours they meandered through the various local gatherings and market places, finding supplies and the occasional view for the cities finer goods. During that time, the sun had begun to set and Kaldur was delighted to see the small window lights that illuminated the city and shone upon some of the cobblestone roads that lead from the cities entrance to the docks. From the shops to the taverns and the stores Kaldur found that many of the inhabitants didn't look at him as they would a stranger and instead he passed through the crowd without notice. Ahri, on the other hand, was the center of most people's gaze.

Rolling his eyes, Kaldur tried to keep the attention away from his fox tailed companion to no avail, instead making it a little more obvious that she was here. She seemed to laugh all the while at his attempts.

"Ahri!?" Came an older voice to Kaldur's right.

Both of them took a stop and realized that they were standing in front of a local bakery, the aroma of fresh cut bread filled Kaldur's mind as he took a deep breath through the nose. I front of the main entrance stood an older woman with a type of shawl over her shoulders in a green and red sewn hue. Instead of a dress, the woman wore a type of toga that wrapped around her and was tied to her waist with a small sash and string that clashed with the rest of the outfit. Her face was slightly tanned and had a few small curls of white hair protruding from underneath the head covering she wore. Her eyes were a soft light brown and her face was a slender thin form that portrayed an aura of niceness.

"O'ma?" Ahri called back, a look of surprise and happiness marked her face.

The woman began to speak back in Ionaian, which Kaldur could only get a few catches of, but he had determined from her tone of voice that she was quite the authoritative person.

"I have been well. I see the city is doing fine as well?" Ahri replied.

The woman took a quick look at Kaldur and realized the reason for Ahri's response to be in Noxian.

"The city is doing just fine, dear. There were a few bumps here and there but the heart of Tevasa is still the same as it was … despite the differences over the years."

"That is good to hear O'ma." Ahri nodded with a little red in her ears.

"How many times have I told you to call me Tiama? And you still haven't introduced me to your handsome friend here." Tiama gestured to Kaldur.

Before Ahri could react, Kaldur held out his hand to the elderly woman. "Kaldur Ma'am." He introduced.

"And polite as well." She remarked, looking at the outstretched arm. "Though I do not know what greeting this is."

"It's called a hand shake. Normally people of where I am from grab the hand of the one that greets them and shakes it once as a form of 'hello'."

The elderly lady seemed to catch on and gently grasped Kaldur's hand. "So where are you from?" she asked, never letting her eyes off of Kaldurs.

"Ha ha…" He began awkwardly. "It is a little far from here, I am quite sure you would not have heard of it."

"Anyway, Tiama." Ahri had found her voice again, and was eager to divert the conversation. "Is there a place we can talk privately? We still have a long journey before us and I would like to ask some questions that may help us."

"Of course, dear! You are always welcome at my home after what you did for Tevasa."

Following Tiama through the city, Kaldur and Ahri entered her humble abode. It was a small cottage within the base of a white and red tree that stood away from the rest of the surrounding forest. The inside contained one bedroom and a living area, with what looked to be a kitchen. As Kaldur looked around at the reduced area he found that it was cozy, if not a little warm. A lone chair sat beside the fireplace covered in a beige satin and the floor was a smooth hard wood. In the center of the area was a small table that had three chairs around it, each intricate in design as if the tree's themselves had grown them to the shape. Around were many candles that lit the rooms; each flickering as the wind passed by the windows.

"Take a seat." Tiama ordered. "I'll put on some tea."

Tiama placed her goods on the counter and began her work in the kitchen. Sitting awkwardly, Kaldur and Ahri remained silent for the next half hour as Tiama prepared a meal and food. As the aroma filled the air of the wooden structure, Kaldur began to feel his stomach growl. Placing the food on the table, Tiama joined her two guests before talking.

"Well my dear, what did you wish to speak about?"

"We need to get to Wuju." Ahri began.

Tiama took a sharp breath in before she sipped her tea.

"There is an individual that we must meet."

Tiama remained silent for a moment. "Who is it?"

"The Master Yi." Ahri answered, she hadn't even touched her food.

Sensing the tension in the room, Kaldur started to delve into the meal, making sure to keep his Ionian curtsies.

"Wuju is a dangerous place Ahri. It is cursed."

"Many thought the same about me, did they not?"

Tiama scoffed. "You are not the rumors; and don't you dare think otherwise! You saved this city when no one else would, that makes you family."

Taking a deep breath, Tiama continued. "Wuju has been cursed ever since it's destruction, there is nothing for you up there; and there are none who would lead you there otherwise."

"O'ma…" Ahri began, reaching her hand forward.

"Tiama." Tiama corrected.

"Tiama … We need to find this master, he is sure to be up there. The message we sent agreed to that place. If I miss it now then we will never find him."

Tiama broke out in laughter. "Dear child, that man has more patience than anyone I know. If he says he will wait, he will wait an eternity. Now his companion on the other hand…"

"Companion?" Kaldur asked, he noticed that his mouth was still full and swallowed quickly.

"A young Vastaya named Wukong." Tiama answered. "Ahri, there are few who can enter that place. He was born there, so none on Runeterra could convince him otherwise to stay away. But you I would hope have more sense."

"Tiama, I defended this village before. I can handle what may be out there."

"Why not send a message and meet him here in town?" Tiama asked, worry began to break out on her face.

"What is so scary about Wuju Tiama? I know the place is poison, but there is nothing there neither that I nor the master couldn't handle."

Taima breathed a deep sigh. "People have gone missing up there." She answered. "I don't know how, but they have. I don't want you to suffer the same fate."

Everything clicked for Kaldur. Tiama looked at Ahri like a daughter, maybe one that she had and lost, or one that she never did which forced her to be a little protective.

"She won't be going their alone." Kaldur interrupted, making sure to clean his face. "I have traveled with her this far, I wouldn't be much of a companion if I didn't stay."

Tiama observed Kaldur with a steady eye before she turned to Ahri once more.

"Tiama … I have been there before, I just do not know the way. If you can help I would be eternally grateful." Ahri was looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Alright." She sighed. "There may be a man in town. But you are going to stay the night and I will not take 'no' for an answer."

Ahri made a small but childlike smile, and held Tiama's hand. "Thank you O'ma."

"Tiama!" the woman corrected.

The night was quiet as Kaldur and Ahri spent the night within the old woman's house. Kaldur was forced to sleep in the living area, which was fine with him as long as he was near a window, while Ahri spend the night in Tiama's room. The city itself was peaceful, and since they were closer to the port, Kaldur could hear the gentle motion of the water as it swayed on the beach.

When he awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find that he was up earlier than his companion and the homeowner. The sun had barely hit the horizon and he was happy to note that he was well rested despite the shortage of sleep. Taking advantage of the time, Kaldur got dressed and left the house making sure to get an early run in so as to keep up his training. Running was a simple task, but here he wanted to view the city and used this as an excuse to do so.

Heading towards the docks, Kaldur passed many a house and shop. Some were marked with simple signs that allowed him to identify its use but others seemed to show writing on them, which made it that much more complicated. As he neared the docks, he found that the city almost split away from the sandy beachhead and the wooden planks appeared in neat little rows for the crew to walk upon. The city was very much livelier here than in the housing area as the crew was awake and making sure that their ships were prepared. Most of the cruisers had an Ionian feel to them; marked with symbols and bat like sails, the ships stood atop the water as if they were gliding, shaped in a slight curve that was like an upside-down bridge. Other ships, however, were more traditional of what Kaldur would think of as Victorian Galley's in his nations past. Each one had three simple white sails that floated atop the mast, while the large arrow hull was shaped in a barrel form, like that of a cone that had the top third removed. Here the noise was louder; over the sound of the sea and the birds were men that shouted across hulls to the men who carried the cargo on board.

Continuing on his way, Kaldur looped around and fell back into the city on the other side. Here was where many people seemed to live, as well as most of the larger buildings stood. The oddity of this city came in the form of the trees that surrounded and penetrated it. Normally the isle had a plethora of grassy fields which shifted in color from greens to reds and the occasional purple, but the forests were small and scattered. Here the forest lay away from the town, but still in clear view; yet the city itself had a collection of taller trees that stood as landmarks to the city's infrastructure. Some entertwined with homes that had been built, like Tiama's, but others came to grow around buildings that were built there before despite the size of the tree.

In this district of the city were what Kaldur would have noted as government buildings, despite there being only two in the area. Each one of them settled into the sides of the massive tree that covered most of the district. The first was built with golden embroidering on the seams with a mass of vine like pillars forming a pattern around it. The second was much more on the Noxian side of the architecture spectrum and thus was made of dark metal, and steel doors that barred entry, it was very much a fortress.

Coming back around to Tiama's place Kaldur had seen as much of the city as his run would allow. Coming up to the door he opened it to find Ahri sitting on the warm sofa with a book in her hand while Tiama was standing in the kitchen with a steaming meal on the small fire.

"Well there you are." Commented Tiama, she didn't take her eyes off the bacon.

"Went for a run." Kaldur answered, making sure to remove his shoes after he shut the door. "Wanted to see what the city was like."

"Find anything to your fancy?"

"It is very much different from home. My only curiosity would be the trees."

Tiama made a big grin, and began to put the food on a few plates that lay around the table. "The trees have been shifting in this town since I was a little girl. Some will stay for generations, others will vanish in the blink of an eye. It all depends on the mood of the land beneath."

"What do you mean by that?" Kaldur asked, sitting down at the table; Ahri moved to get up but the book was still in her hands, she didn't seem to want to put it down.

"In times of danger or care the city was once covered by the forest. Tree's as tall as the sky came in a few short months." Tiama answered. "In times of stress or a lack of need the forest would disappear and leave us with the open planes."

Kaldur nodded and reached for the bacon.

"Ah!" Tiama swung to slap his hand but he quickly dodged. "Go wash yourself first! I will not have your mess all over my table."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow and looked at Ahri, she didn't shift from her book. "Yes ma'am." And he got up to wash.

After a quick wipe down and breakfast, Kaldur and Ahri grabbed their things and followed Tiama through the city streets. After a few quick stops they finally made their way to a crooked shop which stood smushed in between another and the biggest boulder Kaldur had ever seen.

"Uhhh … is that a part of the city's magic as well?" Kaldur asked, pointing at the boulder.

"This placed is full of mysteries." Tiama laughed and led them inside. The store they entered was quite larger than what the outside had led Kaldur to believe, and as he swept through the small curvature of hallways he was beginning to wonder if this thing was the size of the city itself. The store was coded in a dark purple ambiance and while the crystal torches made sure to keep it lit, the place felt quite dark. The walls themselves were covered in a blue and purple tape that contained patterns of eyes, cats, and something that looked like a dragon, where the floor had a fluffy carpet with dyed wool. Yet the most interesting thing about it was the amazing amount of doors that were in the hallways themselves. Some were normal, others of an intricated design while many were just plain weird; but Kaldur kept coming to the same conclusion: none were the same. In every sense Kaldur kept being reminded of a shop of horrors that was busy during the Halloween season.

After a few minutes of navigating the ninety-degree maze they entered one of the many doors that led into a small office like room. This place was not at all like the hallways they wandered through before and resembled the inside of a small workshop than anything else. Around the room were small metallic gears, as well as brass parts and a few crystals, each were parts of sets that stood on any flat surface they could find. The room contained a fireplace and a lone couch but the rest of it was made to accommodate a builder or and engineer.

"Don't stand there with the door open." Came a voice to Kaldur's left. Spinning around he saw what looked to be a taller man hunched over a desk near the corner of the room. He was wearing a yellow and red robe that spanned his entire body which had a hood over the top of his head. The man was of a slight brown color and had enormous yellow eyes and a black beard which stretched to his stomach. The only seeming non-human trait about the person was the bird-like nose that lay flat across his face, making him look very much like an owl.

"I said shut the door." Ordered the man. Kaldur stumbled but managed to close the door before the man could yell at him more.

"Why the Noxian, Tiama?" the old man asked Tiama. "They cause nothing but trouble."

"They wouldn't if you would lighten up Gerard." Tiama retorted. "Besides, he is a friend of Ahri so I have no complaints."

Gerard turned to Kaldur and gave him a quick once over before he moved around the room. "What do you want?" He asked, stopping at another one of his desks.

"They need travel to Wuju. You are the only one who can guide them there."

Gerard scoffed. "What!? You think I am a guide for those places? I only allow travel provided they have the coin."

"Then offer them a door." Tiama remarked, keeping a steady gaze on the old Vastaya.

"Three hundred Vasils."

"Three hundred Gerard? What is this a robbery?" Tiama seemed outraged.

"One fifty is the standing price per person. For the two of them it comes to three hundred. I offer no discounts, and no price changes." Gerard gave Ahri a very stern look. "No matter the actions of the individual."

Ahri's eyes glowed a sharper yellow but she retained her composure. "I have two-hundred fifty on me. Will that be enough?"

Gerard's throat gurgled in a low laughter. "Enough … sure if you plan on making me laugh harder. It is three hundred or no deal. I don't give handouts."

Kaldur pulled Ahri to the side while Tiama began to nag on Gerard. "Can't we just make it on foot?" Kaldur asked with his voice low.

Ahri shook her head. "I don't know where it is. It was by shear luck that I made it there the last time. If we want to get there we need someone who can find the passage or someone who can move us past it. This is the only place near here that can."

Kaldur made a grimace. "Fine. But how are we going to pay him?"

"I don't know. I am hesitant to use my magic on him…"

"Yeah, best not do that."

Kaldur looked around the room for a moment, trying to find something that he could use to his advantage when his eyes passed over the many gears and crystals lying on the desks.

"How do those crystals work?" Kaldur asked Ahri.

Ahri followed his gaze. "They are infused with natural magic but only in limited doses. Once they run out, the power goes away."

"So how do they keep them charged?"

"Sometimes they don't. I have heard that certain machines can keep them running but it is far beyond my knowledge."

Kaldur cocked his head to the side and moved towards one of the desks. Picking up one of the blue crystals he had it within his hand. The moment he did so, a slight tingle ran through his arm and Kaldur recognized the magic in the crystal as similar to the world-rune that was within him.

"What are you doing?" Gerard hissed.

Kaldur ignored him and began to manifest the magical energy within his body, making it flow towards the crystal. Kaldur observed the crystal as it began to glow brighter and brighter. In a matter of moments, the crystal was like a beacon within the small cabin room; carefully he set it on the desk once more.

"Are you an idiot!?" Yelled Gerard as he marched forward, grabbing the bright crystal. "Magic infusion is dangerous, if you filled it up too much it would have burst! Not to mention the fact that it is temporary!"

Gerard held the crystal within his hand and looked it over with interest. After a few quick observations he paused for a moment. Raising an eyebrow, he moved over to another desk and placed the crystal on a small device that looked like a microscope, all the while the glow followed him.

It took no more than a minute before the owl man looked up at Kaldur, his eyes seemed wider than normal.

"How did you do this?" Gerard asked.

"Excuse me?" Kaldur returned.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy. Not only did you charge the hex-crystal but you increased its capacity as well. How did you do it?"

"Trade secret?" Kaldur answered with a shrug of his shoulders, in truth he didn't know how he did it.

"Right." Gerard didn't look convinced.

"Alright." Kaldur interrupted. "Before you ask me any more details how about I make you an offer."

Gerard raised an eyebrow. "You are not as dumb as I thought you were. Go on."

"In exchange for a trip to our destination how about I charge, and shift, as many of your hex-crystals as you deem necessary."

Gerard seemed to regard Kaldur in a new light. "I think we can come to an agreement. But you must be prepared to do all of the crystals in my shop."

Kaldur shook his head. "Yeah … no way in hell. You charged a trip as three hundred for two people. Which means that you use that money to run this place as well as your little side project here. Based on the amount I see here; this equipment is expensive, so I plan on only charging what my efforts are worth."

Gerard's face lit up a little bit. "Clearly not unintelligent."

"Give me all your dead hex-crystals, and maybe a few of your smaller ones no longer in use. That should be enough."

Gerard took advantage of the pause. "Can I persuade you to charge one more crystal of my choice?"

Kaldur thought about it or a moment. "Depends on how large it is."

"That will do."

Within the next few minutes, Gerard had gathered roughly four dozen crystals of smaller size and a leger one the size of his fist.

"Would you perhaps be interested in sharing this 'trade secret' of yours for future use? It may become quite valuable to my … hobby."

Kaldur scoffed. "If I do that then I have nothing to bargain with. If you want my 'trade secret' then we are going to have to hammer out some working relationship in the future. But for now, I have a previous engagement."

Gerard nodded at the logic of Kaldur's argument and left him to his work. It took about an hour to complete, and by the time he was done Kaldur felt as if his body was being shredded on the inside.

Collapsing on the couch he turned to Gerard. "Enough?"

"Oh, that is plenty young man. Now, to finish our agreement." Gerard moved to the door of his place and opened it. "Follow me."

Ahri, Kaldur, and Tiama each stood up and followed him through the door back into the hallway. Gerard led them through a few twists and turns within his shop, to which Kaldur felt too tired to keep track of, and finally they stopped in front of a door with roots that outlined the smooth oak front.

"Here it is." Gerard said and he pulled out a key. "Tiama, unless you are following I would vacate the premise."

Tiama turned to Ahri and embraced her in a warm hug. "Stay safe. I expect to see you sometime."

"I will." Ahri promised, returning the hug.

"And you." Tiama called out as she turned to Kaldur. "Keep her safe." And she gave Kaldur a slight bow.

"She might be doing more of that for me but I will do my best." Kaldur answered with his best smile.

With a slight nod Tiama took off through the maze of hallways. Gerard in turn, stuck the key into the keyhole as she left around the corner. With a slight metallic sound, the door swung inward and Kaldur was left to look at a bright white canvas in front of him.

"This will take you to your destination. Be sure to not stop midway lest you be cut in half."

Shrugging his shoulders Kaldur looked at Ahri. With a small smile lighting both of their faces, each took a step through the doorway not knowing what lay on the other side.


	7. A Broken Blade, a Master, and a Monkey

Chapter 6: A Broken Blade, a Master, and a Monkey

An immaculate forest surrounded Kaldur as his feet met solid ground. With trees as tall as skyscrapers, and underbrush that stood up to his knees, the area felt like the home to giants. Around him were bushes and thickets which could easily hide many creatures, and a dense fog that filled the spaces beyond his vision. It was eerily quiet for a forest so large, and yet there was a calming sense of peace in the air; of which all came shattering as Ahri spoke, making Kaldur jump.

"This way." She beckoned. Kaldur was by no means paying attention and looked around for his companion only to find her in the center of a wide game trail which lead farther into the forest. It was an odd trail, however, as he looked back to see that it stopped just short of where he stood, almost as if it were a continuation of Gerard's magic door. Turning around, Kaldur half expected a disconnected door to still linger behind him, allowing for a simple step back into the wandering hallways of the purple hewn shop; yet there was nothing but fog lit forest behind him.

"I thought you were the impatient one." Ahri noted as she began to sway back and forth in place.

"You remember what I said to Lee Sin about not being surprised?" Kaldur asked, walking over to his companion and keeping an observant eye on his surroundings.

"Yes."

"I take that back."

Ahri smirked. "He thought you might."

"I swear, if I keep gawking at everything I see then this is going to be a _very_ long trip."

"Watch what you say." Ahri commented.

Motioning for her to lead the way, Kaldur followed behind as Ahri treaded the neatly worn path. It took not a matter of minutes before he two of them stood over a steep drop into a valley of rock and stone; but as Kaldur looked at it closer, something seemed off.

"Welcome," Ahri began sadly. "To the city village of Wuju."

The sight was ghastly. Inside the bowl in which the city lay was no more than shattered rubble of a once prosperous home. The wood and stones that originally made houses had fallen from their place of creation, some even looked to have been melted in areas as if acid had drowned them out. The place smelled putrid as if death lingered within that place, even the air looked a poisonous green which masked the view. Kaldur looked on in horror as he imagined the dead rotting in the homes which lay beneath him, and the melancholy that overtook the place. Suddenly the dead silence began to make sense, this place was cursed … but not of magic. It was a curse of war that lingered even long after the war was over.

Kaldur always knew why war happened, and he firmly believed that it was sometimes necessary; but even this went too far.

"Chemical warfare." He muttered. "Even my world hesitates to use it."

Ahri didn't respond.

Looking around, Kaldur observed the valley as it was imagining what it would have looked like before the war between this country and the one called Noxus. He imagined the people wandering the streets in happiness, and satisfied in the thought that they were safe from the world outside. He imagined rolling hills with the forest interacting with all that was built, like much of what Ionia represented. Yet here he stood at the precipice of disaster. Shaking his head he took a second look at the scene before him only to notice something completely different. On the outer edges of the village, where the streets just began and the houses stopped falling to ruin, was growth; growth that was overtaking the death and desolation on the very ground.

"Hey." He called to Ahri. "Look over there." He pointed to the growing plant-life within the valley.

"I am not much of a 'save the planet' type of guy, but it looks to me like the forest want's its land repaired."

Ahri followed his gaze and lightened up a little at the sight. "Always the optimist." She remarked.

"Not always." He began. "I often used to focus on what went wrong with the world, and my life for that matter."

He paused, not sure if he should continue.

"And now?" asked Ahri.

"I don't know. Maybe I just got sick of that." Shaking his head, he attempted to divert the conversation. "So where are we going?"

Ahri seemed to take the diversion and pointed towards the hills just north of the cratered valley. "Over there. We can spend the night in the fields."

Nodding at the answer, the two of them progressed onward for another half an hour till they stood within a lush flowerbed. Like most Ionian plants, these ones ranged on the side of blue and red, with an intermix of purple sewn in. The flowers spread across the entire plain, each overlapping the other in a constant wave of motion whenever the wind came through. Kaldur could smell the pollen in the air, each like a bit of honey and perhaps rosemary if he wasn't mistaken. The flowers stood on the stalk like bunches, each looking like multiple pointed hands that were cupped over one another where the hollowed ends faced the ground.

Watching as the field swayed one way or the other with the wind he noticed an irregularity within the center of the field. As they moved closer to it, Kaldur noticed that it was a stone pillar rounded and in the shape of a dulled cone pointing towards the sky. The cone sat just at the end of a small stone dais that was glossy smooth and reflected the light of the sun as it came. On the cone were many pieces of Ionian writing that Kaldur could not read, but he managed to recognize a few of them, if not all, as names.

"Hey Ahri. What …" Turning around mid-sentence, Kaldur was surprised to find that Ahri was no longer there.

"Ahri?" He called, looking around the field to see if the Vastaya had wandered farther in the field.

Panic seemed to grip Kaldur, as he began to frantically search for his companion. Did something happen, he was right there and didn't notice anything? Cursing himself for his lack of attention, Kaldur slowed his breathing and focused his mind as his training had taught him. He needed to pay attention, as Lee Sin had taught him many times before.

" _You must always be aware of your surroundings. The world isn't always going to be so forgiving as to allow you to fight fairly."_ Kaldur remembered.

His heart began to beat faster, while he was indeed worried about Ahri, something reminded him of when the village was attacked, and his fear in that incident. He was afraid, but this time he felt ready and waiting, and that fear once again began to fall by the wayside. Pulling his magic forward, Kaldur formed his sword.

Taking a stance, Kaldur began to slowly circle the area, keeping his eye out for anything unusual. Watching the fields of flowers, he tried to notice differences in the scene. Ahri could not have disappeared into thin air, it wasn't one of her powers. She could move fast, that was for sure, but the field was too large for that; she had to be in the brush somewhere.

A section of brush moved a few feet to his right. Kaldur raised the tip of his sword, both hands enclosed around it, and began to glide towards the motion making sure to keep his gaze upon the area around it.

Movement again, this time to his left. Either something was under the brush, or the object was invisible.

Kaldur, spun towards the movement. It wasn't even a moment that Kaldur heard a cackling laugh and something hard struck him upside the head.

Sprawling on the ground, Kaldur struggled to stand up as his head was pounding from the blow. He was barely on his feet when the corner of his eye caught the form of a staff lunging at him. Kaldur cornered his sword to parry the blow, but just as he felt a small amount of pressure touch the magic blade it disappeared followed by a hard blow to his back; just barely managing to harden his back with magic before the blow struck.

Grunting, Kaldur fell forward and rolled to another stance away from his attacker, finally managing to get a good look once he spun around. The man was a Vastayan, a monkey by what Kaldur could judge. Covered in shades of red and brown, the monkey-man wore a sharp red scarf around his neck that was attacked with some type of beige wool on his shoulders with a singular shoulder guard on his left shoulder. On both of his forearms he wore thick barrel like bracers which seemed way to big for the man's body, while in his right hand he held a staff that was nearly twice his size. With his tail swaying impatiently behind him, the monkey-man wore a type of metal kilt which draped far past his knees. The man's face, all the while giving a sharp toothy grin, was slim where the man had sharp green eyes and red bags underneath them.

"Come on." The monkey man whined. "I was hoping to get some fun out of this. You're just sad."

Kaldur didn't move, and instead waited for the man to make a move.

"So be it." Cackled the man.

With a quick dive, the monkey swung at Kaldur's left; but just as Kaldur began to block, a mass of the same man dove at him around the same time. Kaldur ducked, letting the blows pass over him before he noticed that his mind was tricked, and the copies had disappeared in the same instance. The monkey man's blow flew over Kaldur's head, and just as Kaldur stood back up, the staff came full circle and struck Kaldur's sword.

With both interlocked, the monkey-man made a big grin. "Better." He called.

Without hesitation, Kaldur twisted the blade of his sword and kneed the monkey in the stomach. The man scattered backwards, and rubbed his chest. "Much better. Let's see what you can do."

Both of the men began to circle each other, each keeping their gaze focused on their opponent. It was the monkey who acted first, diving again for Kaldur's left, it was the same trick as before so Kaldur saw it coming. Instead of blocking, Kaldur stepped into the blow and braced his side with magic as he swung at his opponents' chest. As the blade slashed, the monkey quickly changed his direction mid-air and sailed over Kaldur, the blade only grazing his leg. Using Kaldur's back as a platform, the monkey-man launched himself away from Kaldur and landed with a slight limp on the ground.

Taking advantage of Kaldur's confusion the monkey-man thrust forward a powerful strike with the end of his staff. Kaldur only barely managed to shove the incoming attack away with his sword as he backed away, making sure to keep his front to the target.

The monkey-man took a step forward with his right leg, but stumbled a little and looked down at his leg.

"How!?" He commented surprised, then looked up at Kaldur. "That shouldn't happen!"

Kaldur paused for a moment, then realized what happened. "Sorry, but I don't like to kill."

The monkey man gave him the most unusual look and then broke out laughing. "That's not what I meant. But your funny all the same."

"Alright. I think that is enough." Came a lower voice to Kaldur's left.

Turning his head to catch the maker of the voice, but keeping his attention on his opponent, Kaldur noticed that another man was standing in the midst of the poppy's right next to Ahri. The man was clearly human, but he wore the strangest outfit of yellow and white. With layer shoulder guards, and a segmented breast-plate, the man was in a jointed armor that allowed for swift movement all the while looking light and weightless on the man's shoulders. With belted, and leather black pants, the man had giant boots that were armored like his chest. The oddest aspect of the man's armor was the helmet which looked to have seven goggled eyes on it, all placed in the shape of a hexagon where the seventh eye is placed in the center. The man's face, while not clearly visible, had a thin form and contained a brown go-tee with a long-braided beard all the way down to the man's chest.

Kaldur felt a wave of relief pass over him as he saw Ahri. "I have too many questions right now. But I might want to start with … Ahri, you ok?"

Ahri flashed her cryptic smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Wukong, I think we have determined all we need to." Said the goggled man.

"Come on! It was just getting good." Called out the monkey man.

Kaldur felt confused. "Someone better start explaining what's going on."

Ahri was the one to answer. "This," She pointed to the odd man. "Is Master Yi."

Yi made a slight nod to Kaldur before he finished the introductions. "The young Vastayan who was your sparring partner is my compatriot Wukong."

Kaldur looked to Wukong for a moment. The monkey was smiling, betraying fangs that looked a little too creepy for Kaldur.

"Uh huh … So, you're the master who we were to meet?" Kaldur asked, turning his gaze back to Yi.

"Correct. Now, would you care to remove your sword. There is no danger here."

Kaldur looked down at his hands to notice that he was still in a defensive stance and his sword was still up.

"Oh, sure I …" Kaldur paused for a moment as he watched Wukong approach Ahri.

"And who do we have here?"

Kaldur swore he heard a purr come out of that statement. "On second thought… I might just leave it out for a bit."

Yi swung around for a brief glance at Wukong. "Well you can hardly blame him. Vastaya of her caliber are a rare sight in this world. It might be best …"

Yi's gaze looked back at Kaldur. "Well, maybe now is not the time."

Kaldur didn't realize it at first, but with Yi's hesitation he could feel the heat coming off of his face. Ending the flow of magic that made the sword, Kaldur stood up straight. "That might be best."

Kaldur turned to look at his companion and realized that she was blushing, all the while talking with the monkey Vastayan. For some reason, Kaldur began to feel a little tightness in his stomach as he looked at the scene. Shaking his head, he shrugged it off.

"Ahri!" He called out. With a quick glance, Ahri walked over to him.

"How in the world did you disappear earlier?" He asked. With a thousand questions on his mind, this was the only one he could ask without sounding rude.

"A trick of the light." She explained. "There are area's here that work well with illusions."

"Alright. Just … don't do that again. I legitimately thought something happened."

"Don't you trust me?" She asked, making sure to keep her cryptic smile.

"Of course I trust you. But how am I supposed to know that it was the monkey boy who made the illusion and not some enemy?"

Ahri looked shocked.

"Sorry. I'm still a little paranoid."

The smile returned to Ahri's face. "It's alright. I can understand a little."

"Alright then. Master Yi!" Kaldur called out. "May I ask what is first on our 'to do' list?"

"If I interpreted your master's letter correctly, then I am to teach you the use of the sword."

"As far as I know, that is the case. All the while traveling to a port where we can reach Piltover."

Master Yi raised his hand. "Not quite. Wukong and myself are due for a previous engagement in the Navori province. Once completed, we will guide you to your destination."

Kaldur paused. "Previous engagement? How long is that supposed to take?"

"As long as it needs to." Answered Yi.

Wukong strode up to the conversation. "He does this all the time. Better get used to it."

"Fast and smart…" Began Yi.

"Slow and dumb." Ended Wukong, grinning.

Kaldur shook his head and realized that this was going to be a long trip.

Training in the sword didn't begin right away. Initially the posse of warriors began their decent from the mountain village to the city of Tevasa, which took an unnatural two days to reach; showing Kaldur just how far Gerard's door had actually taken them. It was also another consideration that passed Kaldur's mind when he realized he felt lost the entire time he was in the forest, and once exiting, his sense of direction returned. Despite his numerous questions, Kaldur found that Yi was not one to answer all of them and regarded most answers to be 'given with patience or consideration.' Wukong, on the other hand, was more than willing to chat Kaldur's ears off and even did so when there was never any question asked. Even with his ability to keep up in conversation, Kaldur found that, on occasion, he desired reprieve from the endless barrage of words.

What surprised Kaldur most of all about the monkey man was his very own reactions whenever Wukong would start conversation with Ahri, as it so often did. In times like this he would become irritated and short, making those around him uncomfortable should they ever notice. He attempted to hide it, of course, but that never stopped the emotions from rising once again which begged Kaldur to ask the question: why? As not enough time had passed for him to soundly answer that question, the group had once again arrived in Tevasa.

Yi, while clearly a patient man, decided upon rest for the night within the city, claiming that a boat ride in the early morning would be far more inductive tolerable than one that was full of tired younglings. Ahri had taken it upon herself to meet the group at the docks in the morning for which she could spend the night at Tiama's, where the rest stayed the night at an inn of which Yi payed for. During the next morning, the group prepared to leave the small isle and head towards the mainland on a much larger ferry which took only four hours to reach. It was here that Master Yi decided to stop the group.

"I believe it is time to begin your education young man." Announced Yi.

"Finally." Kaldur replied. "So, what's first?"

"First we set up camp." Yi answered.

"We can do that O-fa." Replied Ahri. "It will give you and Kaldur more time."

"I suppose you are right. But don't call me O-fa. I am not _that_ old."

With that Ahri and Wukong, much to Kaldur's chagrin, began to make camp while Yi lead Kaldur farther out to begin his training.

"From what your master has described, you are in decent physical condition and know the ebb and flow of combat." Yi began. "Yet from what I have seen of your skill, it is going to take quite a while for you to even master the sword let alone a style."

Kaldur cringed at the comment. "Was it that bad?"

"In a word: yes. But, you have potential as a combative, and might even be able to hold your own. What we need now is to teach you the fundamentals of the sword."

"Does this mean that you will be teaching me your style of Wuju?" Kaldur asked expectantly.

"Spirits no!" Yi cried. "You do not have the time, even if you have the patience, to learn this art. Not to mention your lack of philosophical expertise."

"Philosophical …?" Kaldur started, but shook his head away from the question. "Alright, where do we start."

"Your stance. It is that of a hand to hand combative, we need to rectify that." And for the next few hours, Kaldur was schooled in the many different forms a swordsman used. From what Kaldur could gleam off his new mentor, swordsmanship is a very creative process. One can learn a form or two and they can easily shift it to better their physical nature. Kaldur had learned that his sword itself allowed for the use of single handed and two-handed swordsmanship, which broadened his horizons on what he could use.

Unlike Lee Sin, Master Yi preferred to explain first and then preform a physical example of the technique. Lee Sin was far more into the method of explain why you messed up as you get hurt, but Kaldur surmised that it had something to do with the difference in training a weapon versus hand to hand. Yi was a very patient man, even more so than his former teacher, and thus allowed for Kaldur to grow into the move with time rather than speed along the process by showing Kaldur many things at once; it was a very methodical approach to which Kaldur excelled at.

It was not long before the party began to travel north of their encampment into the province of Navori, and with every day of travel came a lesson of the sword. For the first week or so they passed through the smaller mountain range that covered the southern beachhead of the main Ionian isle, and once they overcame it Kaldur viewed a sight quite familiar to him. It was the province in which he arrived, and it looked just like he remembered it; with the fields of farmland that hosted exquisite Ionian harvest, and the forest that spanned the western area with trees that grew to hundreds of feet, to the mountain range that stood as a snowy barrier to the Northeast isles.

Even with the familiarity in his environment, Kaldur still managed to ask more questions; enough so that Yi sought fit to have him practice what he learned with Wukong as his sparring partner. Kaldur determined this was done on purpose as both he and the monkey-man would banter continuously. Yi had explained that as Wukong may be his partner, he is also his pupil in the Wuju style, which meant Wukong was far more apt to challenge than one such as himself. Wukong, on the other hand, reveled in the day to day activity; and while Kaldur still had some misgivings about the man, he found that the two of them got along decently, much to Yi's annoyance and Ahri's amusement.

"What am I going to do when you leave?" Yi complained on their way through one of the forests many paths. "I was just getting him to talk less and now your instigating it further. When you're gone who do you think these words will be passed on to?"

"It's not that bad Yi." Wukong soothed. "I mean, you get all this charming personality all to yourself. Who could ask for more?"

Yi scoffed. "I have been hording this 'charming personality' for years. I think it would be good to share the wealth from time to time."

Ahri was dying.

Kaldur turned back and smiled a little bit, but focused his attention further on the road. For the last few weeks, nearing on a month, this was the pattern of every day conversation. Wukong and him would get into a debate, Yi would get dragged in, Wukong would prank Yi, and Ahri couldn't stop laughing at the whole thing, even making sure to participate from time to time. It was actually quite pleasant, and Kaldur found that he was reminded of home during these times of bliss.

Rounding the next bend, Kaldur stopped mid stride at the sight of something moving in the distance.

"Master Yi. People." He announced.

Yi moved up next to him and the two observed the area. In the middle of the road was a lone ox pulled wagon which was strapped with a light brown tarp. On the wagon's coach seat sat a man and a woman, while in front and around the wagon stood a multitude of cloaked figures. It was a little to far to make out the details, but Kaldur could discern that this was a highway robbery of some kind.

Yi tapped Kaldur on the shoulder and ushered him to follow Ahri and Wukong through the outer brush. Following his instructions Kaldur crouched low and waded through the tall grassweed in the direction that Ahri had traversed. It took only a moment, but soon Kaldur was watching the scene just shy of the roadside where his companions lay quietly. Making sure to stay hidden in the brush Kaldur observed that the man on the wagon was an older gentleman that looked in his late fifties. The woman, on the other hand, was easily Kaldur's age if not a little older; her hair was a perfect shade of snow white and her eyes were a blood red, while her figure was lean but very athletic. She had pale skin, and sat straight and defiant. The older gentleman seemed quite fragile, but his face was a darker shade peppered with the grey from his beard, his eyes not worried in the least.

There were fourteen members of the opposing party surrounding the cart, each wearing a uniform under a dark cloak and many carrying single handed blades.

The man in front of the cart stepped forward. "O-fa." He said, nodding slightly.

"Reglin." The old man nodded back in return. The conversation initially started in Ionian, only part of which Kaldur was able to catch; but before he could formulate what they were saying the old man broke the conversation into Noxian.

"For the sake of my dayeda here, would you care to continue in Noxian?" The older gentleman began. Kaldur thought for a moment and remembered that the word 'dayeda' meant 'daughter'.

"She's been living here long enough. Shouldn't she know her new native tongue?" The man quipped.

"It is a far easier language." The older man reasoned. "Besides, is there a problem with this tongue?"

Kaldur noticed the other man was beginning to show a little color in his hands as he clenched them into fists; but he didn't seem to reply.

"Why are you here Reglin? The matter of Riven's crimes have long since passed, there should be no reason to continue this harassment."

"I am here to recruit her."

The older gentleman seemed shocked. "Recruit? What would the council need her for?"

"I no longer work for the council. I have other employers that can make use of her many talents." The man was beginning to smile, shifting his hood just enough for Kaldur to get a look at him. Reglin looked like any other Ionian by shape and skin tone, his nose was a little flat and his hair fell in a long braid down the side of his neck; but what really made the man were his eyes, each reflecting hatred.

"No." The woman called Riven spoke. "I will not slaughter just so the Brotherhood can claim Ionia."

The man shifted his view to the woman in the seat. "Are you not the one who renounced her Noxian ways? Are you not the woman who claimed to watch over Ionia in all its entirety?" He preached. "This is your way to salvation, a way to resolve for all the Ionian blood you spilled on this very soil."

Kaldur was so caught up in the conversation that it came as quite the surprise when Wukong and Yi were nowhere to be found. Looking at Ahri, she answered his confused gaze by pointing to the brush on the other side of the road.

"I have already done what I can, and will continue to do so by not spilling any more blood on this soil." Riven replied.

There was a quiet moment of tension before Reglin released a wild breath in relief. "I was hoping you would say that."

As if on que, every member of the group drew their weapons and began to approach the wagon. Ahri was the first to appear on the scene, diving out with her transparent blue glow and tossing a fox-fire into the nearest member. As the man stumbled forward in pain, Ahri followed up her attack with her orb and let it sail through four other members; striking them once one way, and a second time coming back to her.

The soldiers fell to the floor.

Wukong was very close to follow and came out spinning his staff in such a way as to strike two targets at the same time. Kaldur quickly took the initiative and dove for the first man next to Reglin where they stood in front of the wagon. With a quick slash Kaldur's opponent stumbled backwards as if he were exhausted, and collapsed onto the floor unconscious.

Reglin was quite surprised by Kaldur's appearance taking the place of his companion, but what made him an easy target was the collapse of three men behind him, and the sudden appearance of Yi putting his ringed sword away. When the men fell flat to the ground, Reglin spun to observe what was happening; but just as he took his eyes off Kaldur, the magic sword struck through him, rendering the man barely stable as he lay on the floor. Kaldur looked around and noticed that the rest of the group was down where Ahri and Wukong were standing.

"You two ok?" Asked Kaldur, looking at the persons on the wagon.

"We are fine young man. Thank you." Answered the older gentleman; the woman, however, was staring at him.

Kaldur shook off the odd reaction and turned to Yi. "How many are dead?"

Yi took a quick walk around the area before he responded. "The only ones alive are the ones you struck."

Solemnly, Kaldur closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I should have asked you not to kill them. This is my fault."

Yi gave him a curious glance through his goggles. "I have never bothered to ask, as I assumed it was in jest. You do not kill?"

"No. I will not if I can find another way."

"Kaldur. Killing is a part of the sword art. You must understand this."

Kaldur glared at Yi, his anger rising. "Then I will be the first to prevent it. You already saw that I can strike without killing."

"Wait… Kaldur won't kill?" Asked Wukong in an alarmed voice.

Yi paused for a moment, then in a worried tone spoke. "What do you wish to gain from learning the sword?"

Kaldur was about to answer but his voice never sounded. In the past he was told that he needed to become stronger so he could survive. When the attack on the village had occurred, he made the decision not to kill and thus to become stronger so he wouldn't have to. But as Kaldur looked at Ahri, Wukong, and the strangers on the wagon, he began to realize their may be something more to this.

"I want to protect others." He finally answered.

"Kaldur," Wukong began in a far more serious tone, walking up to him. "There are going to be others in this world far stronger then these idiots. Some may even be immune to your magic. If you want to protect others, you need to learn to kill."

"I have made my decision." Kaldur was adamant. "There is always a third option. If I can save others without killing then I will do so."

Yi sighed, and looked at him with a very dignified expression. "It is going to be a difficult road for you."

Kaldur smiled in return. "Then that is the price I will pay."

With his attention on the conversation, the words of the white-haired girl seemed to turn everyone's heads.

"Is that your final decision?" She asked.

Kaldur nodded sternly to her. "Yes."

"Well then." Getting off the wagon, Riven reached back into the cart.

"Dayeda," The old man began with a hint of disappointment. "You didn't bring it did you?"

"I am sorry Asa." She apologized. "I was worried something might happen. I didn't want to leave unprepared."

Kaldur watched on when he saw the woman bring forth a large sword-base from the cart. The base was quite large, with the hilt of the blade being nearly the size of his forearm and the steel bar of a cross guard being the same size. What really made the weapon was the blade; the blade itself looked broken but still usable. With the bottom half of the blade spanning more than two thirds of the cross guard, a sigil was marked upon that part of the blade which looked whole. The shape of the blade formed a U at the broken section where the edge was three times the size of the back edge, and thinned out to form a nice point. The sword itself was colored in black and metallic silver, where the sigil rested on the black inner.

"Ah, so that is who you are." Yi commented.

"This sword does not define me, but it is a helpful tool." Turning to look at Kaldur, Riven continued. "I am by means no teacher, and have passed the life of a warrior behind me for a time. Yet I can teach you something which may be of help in the future."

The group was stunned, as was the old man.

"We really don't have time for this." Edged in Wukong.

"There is always time." Retorted Yi.

"Oh, of course _you_ would say that; but I am referring to these two." He gestured to Kaldur and Ahri. "We promised to get them to the port uninjured. Are we going to leave them so Kaldur can gain another crazy master for a few months? No offense." His last remark aimed at Riven.

"I am not going to teach him the sword." Riven retorted. "I am going to teach him a linked technique."

"He is not ready." Interrupted Yi. "There is still much he needs to lean before that phase."

"What is a linked technique?" Kaldur asked.

"It is an attack." Wukong explained. "Actually it is more like a move that can be used in any style of the weapon you learned it in. Many masters use these to shift between styles, the also look cool."

"It is not something that crass." Yi snapped. "It is a technique far beyond a beginner who has just begun to learn the subtle nuances of the sword."

"I do not intend for him to master it in one day. I expect to show him just enough that he can finish it on his own one day." Riven answered, her tone calm and collected.

Yi grimaced. "Fine. How long will this take."

"Depends on his aptitude. I'm thinking a couple of hours."

Kaldur interjected. "Isn't this _my_ choice?"

"Yes it is." Ahri approached Kaldur from behind and nudged him in the shoulder with hers. "You can do this. I have been with you this long, what can a couple more hours hurt?"

Kaldur felt his skin begind to burn around his face. "Alright."

"Ok. We start now?" He asked, turning to Riven.

Riven lunged at him with her sword in hand, swinging it in a gentle but fast over swing that came crashing down. Kaldur barely got his sword up in time to block the tremendous blow, thanking the fact that he kept his sword activated. Kaldur backed up, but as he did the blows from Riven's blade were getting heavier and heavier. Kaldur was so focused on Riven that he almost didn't notice Ahri's attempt at a rescue when Yi put his arm in front of her to stop her.

Then it all came together: this was the test; but what was he supposed to do?

Kaldur kept his defenses up as best he could, parrying every blow as they reigned upon him; the wind seemed to pick up as she did so. His arms felt tired, his body was beginning to fumble; one wrong step and he would be dead. It was here that Kaldur noticed the slight opening in Riven's barrage: they were too wide. Kaldur slowed his retreat to a stop and waited for her overhand blow, once it came Kaldur took a formal stance and parried once more with his blade. This time, instead of absorbing the blow, Kaldur twisted the sword to where the point faced the ground over his left shoulder, and the attack slid harmlessly down the side of the sword. Riven was easily within reach, and with a swift overhand blow Kaldur brought his sword down on her.

Only, it never struck.

Kaldur was standing with his blade pointed towards the ground, and riven standing to his left with her blade pressed up against his neck.

"This is called a fools gambit." Riven explained, standing up and moving away from Kaldur. "It is a technique where you show your opponent a weakness that is nonexistent, and when he moves to attack that opening you will try to crush him."

Kaldur nodded in response.

"Again!" she shouted.


	8. Unintended Consequences

Hey guys! Sorry this took so long. Hope you like it and I will try to have the next chapter out sooner.

Chapter 7: Unintended Consequences

It was nearly an hour and a half of constant drills before Riven had decided they were done, but Kaldur was no closer to getting the technique.

"But I still haven't fully learned it! One more time."

"Your spirit is admirable, but this is as far as I am willing to go. I have shown you what you need; now it is your responsibility to finish it."

Kaldur was confused, and looked around at everyone else who was lying about after clearing the roadway of the fight.

"A little help here?" he asked.

"Don't look at us." Wukong retorted, he was busy filling Reglin's shoes with some plant Kaldur couldn't identify. "You were the one that said yes."

Kaldur sighed. "What do you mean?" he directed at Riven.

For the first time she smiled. "You will know when it happens."

Kaldur wasn't quite satisfied with that answer, but he knew that his time with Riven was short, and the longer they stayed here the more danger the party would be in.

Getting up off the floor, Kaldur brushed himself off. "Master Yi. How much farther do we have to proceed north?"

Yi was nestled in a small crevice in his usual meditation pose. "A few more days, much the opposite direction our young Riven here is taking."

"When we loop around is it possible to hit her place on the way by?"

Yi was shaking his head in response. "I am not quite sure what you are referring to by 'hitting' her home, but if it means to visit then we will not be in the vicinity on our return trip."

Kaldur felt a small hand rest on his shoulder and looked back to see Riven looking at him, her eyes shining their brilliant red.

"You have had many great teachers, Kaldur. While our time together was brief, hopefully you can develop your own art through the small parcels of information you gather. Remember: experience is the best teacher."

Removing her hand, she walked over to her wagon and placed the sword in the back as she stepped up to the seat.

"Ready Asa?" She asked to the old man who was resting next to her.

With a small smile, he raised his hands to the rains and gave them a quick thwip. "Thought you would never ask." Turning his head to the group, and to an unsuspecting Wukong, he thanked the party. With that Riven and the old man were off to the south.

"You know." Wukong started, breaking the silence. "It is really funny finding her here. I thought that whole mess had been settled long ago."

"Her business here may have nothing to do with that." Yi answered, gathering himself to move. "But fate seems to be with Kaldur."

Kaldur was trying to wrack his brain as to what they could be talking about before he attempted to answer. "What in the hell are all of you talking about?" He asked, frustration leaking off his voice. "I mean, I feel like I have been dragged around this conversation for the last two hours, and none of you are answering my questions."

Yi made a small smirk. "Then you should have asked her when she was here."

"I did!" Kaldur interjected.

Wukong was dying of laughter. "You are the most interesting person to mess with."

Kaldur gave him a very stern glare and then looked to Ahri. "A little help would be appreciated."

Ahri was still smiling as she grabbed the remainder of her things. "I'll tell you later. I am having a little too much fun."

Kaldur made a loud groan.

With their things packed, and their opponents immobilized, the crew began north. With Kaldur's escapade over, the group continued like it had the days previous, all be it with Kaldur distracted. While they traveled, and he trained, Kaldur wanted to master the move taught to him by the young woman, and his frustration was ever apparent in the days to come. Yi, with all of his patience, allowed this to continue; speaking from the fact that the frustration will leave as one gets better.

It wasn't just Kaldur that was off as they came closer to their destination. During some of their nights around the campfire, Kaldur began to notice a small change in Ahri's mood. Due to her skills as a huntress, she was normally sent to gather some of the meat meant to be used in the cooking, but rarely did she partake in the meals.

"You ok?" Asked Kaldur.

The night was quite pleasant, the moon shone high in the sky and the stars were able to keep the forest well lit, even with the bioluminescence etching around every crevice. At the moment it was her turn for watch, but Kaldur was adamant to train on his own despite the risks of over exhaustion. In the last few months Kaldur had been good at keeping his body in physical shape, recognizing the need to stay ready at all times, but as of recently his frustration had been leaking into that time and he kept pushing himself too hard on many nights.

With his frustration at its peak Kaldur had decided to take a break. With the others asleep, it was the first time in a while that Kaldur and Ahri had been relatively alone. Taking a seat next to her on the log in which she sat, Kaldur leaned forward on his knees.

"You've been a little off these past few days." He continued, shifting his gaze to the stars.

"What about you?" She asked, her eyes never shifted from the horizon. "You have been training incessantly these last few nights. Are you sure you're not the one in need of guidance?"

Kaldur shrugged. "True, but at least I know what I am frustrated about. You've been silent for a while now. Wukong made a good joke the other day and you didn't so much as laugh."

"It wasn't that funny." She retorted.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow and let the silence drag for a bit before continuing. "You know, this is the area where I first met you."

Ahri remained silent.

"I was sitting at my computer, drinking a beer, when all of a sudden I was being tackled by the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on."

Ahri slightly raised her head.

Kaldur continued on, pretending not to notice her movement. "I was so confused in that moment, and yet it felt exciting to me. A scenario in my boring life that had never happened before. And so far, it has been the best thing I could have asked for."

This time it was Ahri's turn to ask a question. "How can you be so happy here?" Her disbelieve beginning to pass through her voice. "Not a few months ago you were crying and wishing that you were back at home. Not to mention you are in the company of someone who tried to harm you for her own selfish methods."

Kaldur grimaced at that comment. "Ahri, your ability doesn't harm me…"

"It doesn't matter!" She seethed. "I tried to harm you!"

Kaldur had never seen Ahri cry before, and while it was still not the case here, her eyes began to swell.

"You were in danger and needed a way to …"

"Stop! Just stop trying to make excuses for me. I am a monster."

Kaldur almost jumped to his feet, but steadied his legs before he could do something stupid.

"You are NOT a monster!" He forced, trying to make sure he didn't wake up his other companions.

Ahri looked at him in defiance. "I am."

"If that's what you believe, then so be it." Kaldur was standing, inside he was cursing himself. "You may think so, but I don't. I don't care WHAT you are, only WHO you are; and to me you are my guide, companion, and friend."

"You have no idea what I have done, Kaldur!" Her eyes were reddening further. "I have done terrible things to people, people I … cared for."

Kaldur couldn't stop himself, he was so angry. "So what!? I've done some shit in my past I'm not proud of. That doesn't define me! You choose who you are, no one else!"

Tears started to fall from her face. Inside, Kaldur was kicking himself, and now he began to feel a little more empathy.

"What is going on Ahri?" His tone lowered to a calm, worried voice. "For as long as I have known you, you have been a fun, confident, and caring individual. But now that we are back here you have been acting like the worlds falling apart."

The tears still stained her face. Ahri tried to wipe them away, but as she did more kept coming. "It's been so long, but now…" She paused.

Kaldur sat back down on the log, and took a deep breath. "What has?"

"I remember almost every person who I've taken the memories of." She began, wiping the remaining tears away. "Many nights they haunt my dreams. But it has been many years since I have taken a memory, I thought I was finding a way around it, and a way to live my own life through my own memories. On the day I found you, there was a murder in a small village. I wanted to help the townsfolk and catch the criminal, but when I did the urge came calling once more. I kept trying to stop it, but I hadn't had it in so long that the temptation was too great. I took some of them, not enough to kill, but enough to satiate the thirst."

Kaldur nodded with a little understanding. "Someone found you, didn't they?"

Ahri nodded in agreement. "A little girl, no more older than Eiakni. When she told the village elders, I thought it best to leave; little did I know that the Brotherhood resided within the dwellings. I ended up caught in one of their traps, and after much struggle I managed to flee, but I was still weak from the encounter."

"That was when you met me." Kaldur finished.

Ahri didn't even move.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that this village we are heading to is the one where this incident occurred?"

Ahri nodded. Turning his head, Kaldur took in a deep breath of the fresh night air and took a long look at the stars before he said anything.

"We'll have to tell Yi about this. It could help to get you in there without being noticed, at least at first. Then when we are done with what needs to be done, we can leave to Raikkon and be off to Piltover. No one will be the wiser." Kaldur gave a big grin.

Ahri made a small smirk, she was clearly feeling a little better. "Always the optimist."

"Always."

In the morning, when the crew had awoken, Kaldur and Ahri explained the complications of entering the village to Yi. It came as almost no surprise to Kaldur when they figured out that Master Yi already knew of those particular hurdles, Wukong on the other hand was very sarcastic about the scenario.

"Well of course he knew! You two were loud enough to wake up Noxus!"

Kaldur felt the incredible urge to punch him, but decided against it. Making their preparations, the party moved north to the small village of Talmaneck. It didn't take that long to reach their destination, and yet, when they arrived, the depression was so intense that even Kaldur could tell that something was off. In his head Kaldur was thinking that it was for the best they concealed Ahri.

In order to hide her, the group had worked to build a set of clothing which would make her almost unrecognizable to the untrained eye. With a large brown cloak, a ragged pair of grey pants, and sporting a V neck tunic, Ahri only had to worry about covering her distinguished features. To hide her stripes, Ahri made sure to splash some dirt over them; all the while carrying most of the groups baggage to conceal her tail beneath the cloak. Her ears were the easy part as she made sure to keep her hood up the entire time.

The village itself was a little musty, sometimes making Kaldurs nose itch and begging to sneeze. The buildings were many mere straw and wooden contraptions, but there was a plethora of them, enough to carry a small army. As Kaldur looked around, he began to notice that the congregations of people were few and far between, preferring to keep their distance from the newcomers, or just keep their heads pointed towards the ground.

Kaldur slowly moved up next to Yi. "You still haven't told me what we are doing here."

Yi kept his gaze fixed on the horizon as he spoke. "The Navori Brotherhood." He began. "Normally political instabilities are not something Wukong and myself endure. This, however, is a special case."

"How so?"

"The Brotherhoods acts to create a unified militaristic Ionia, under their supervision, have normally been taken with a grain of salt as most of Ionia is content with the state of current affairs. As of recently, they have begun far more drastic measures in order to sway the populace. We are here to persuade them otherwise."

"How do you plan to do that? Kaldur asked, keeping his voice low.

Yi smiled. "With patience."

Kaldur rolled his eyes at the comment, but knew not to push anymore.

Taking a few choice paths through the village, Yi lead the crew to a slightly larger hut that lay in the center of the village. With a quick knock on the door, it was immediately answered by an older woman. She wore a small shawl covering her head, a large vest like tunic covering her upper half, and a long skirt that looked to be made of some silk form.

"O-ma." Yi greeted, nodding his head.

"For god sakes Yi," The woman started with irritation, her Ionian was clear enough that Kaldur could catch on. "I am not nearly that old compared to you."

"Is Haldin available?" Yi asked.

The woman turned back and yelled the name into the house, along with a few other choice words that Kaldur thought was best he didn't understand. After a few moments, an older gentleman walked into the doorway. He looked very tired for his age, his eyes were bagged and his skin was fairly wrinkled but he was dressed for the part of a government official, or at least what Kaldur thought an Ionian council member might look like.

"Yi, you're late."

"My apologize Haldin. I had to collect a few things on my way over."

Haldin's eyes immediately darted to Wukong and then back to Yi. What was said next Kaldur could not quite understand, but he was sure it wasn't good for Yi's Vastayan companion.

"You have met before. Is your suspicion so necessary?" Yi asked.

"We had a problem with them before, a few months back."

Kaldur could feel the tension that went through Ahri as she stood behind him. Slowly, Kaldur held his hand behind him and felt as Ahri gripped it and stepped a little closer to keep her face out of sight from Haldin.

"Ionia is a place for all. They have as much right here as we do."

Haldin made a deep sigh. "I understand that, but it doesn't dissuade the fear my people have been in the last season."

Yi put one hand on his shoulder. "That is why we are here."

With a deep breath and forced smile, the official stepped aside and gestured to he inside of his humble abode.

"Care for a meal?"

Yi shook his head, just as soon as a sharp pain went through Kaldurs hand from Ahri's grip. "I am afraid we cannot." Yi apologized. "The sooner this is finished the better."

Haldur looked at Yi with a confused look. "Has that monkey shaken your patience Yi?"

Yi again shook his head. "Patience is always valuable, but there are times when surprise is a force to be reckoned with as well."

Wukong was grinning off to the side.

"Then I wish you luck." Haldin called.

With a small farewell, and a couple of odd gestures, the group walked away from the hut and further into the village. It took a bit before Ahri finally released Kaldur's hand, but once they were far enough away, the tension in the air seemed to give way for a brief moment.

"What's the plan?" Wukong asked Yi, breaking the silence.

"First we need to talk to the current Brotherhood. If we can convince them to leave, all the better."

You know they would never go for it." Wukong stated, his hands behind his head as he looked up.

"Most likely not."

"So…?"

Yi made a small smirk. "We then pursue the alternative route."

Wukong made a giant grin. "I hope that option comes around."

Despite the fear of Ahri being discovered, the group easily made their way through the village grounds. Upon passing the mass of hushed voices and awkward stares, Kaldur found himself standing in front of a large wooden structure about two stories high. On the outer mark that hung from a rough overhang was a sign, one that pictured an array of Ionian blades, and a man at arms raising his weaponized hand high in the sky. Kaldur wasn't sure what it was supposed to signify, but he was confident in the fact that this was where the Navori brotherhood was currently stationed.

"Kaldur, stay here with Ahri. We will be back in a moment." Yi ordered.

Kaldur nodded, and he and Ahri found a space to linger while Wukong and Master Yi disappeared behind the wooden hinged door. It took Yi a while to appear, and all the while he was in there Kaldur wondered what was going on. With a loud bang the door flew open and out came his two companions.

"So, what's the deal?" Kaldur asked, leaning on the railing.

"We're doing this the hard way!" Shouted Wukong excitedly. Yi, on the other hand, was not smiling.

"That man is a fool." Commented the master.

Kaldur stood up straight. "What's happened, what are they doing?"

"It is not as important to know what they are doing as it is to know whom they are employing."

"What does that mean?"

Yi looked at the ground in contemplation. "They mean to take it all." He mumbled.

Kaldur shook his head in confusion. "Yi, you're not making any sense. What is going on?"

Yi looked up, the glow of his goggles forcing Kaldur to squint. "Follow me, we must finish this now."

With that, Master Yi lead the group farther away from the town, Kaldur had never seen the man as impatient, or as worried, as he had now. After they were a safe distance from the ramshackle huts, Yi turned to face the group.

"The brotherhood is in talks with the Order of Shadows."

Ahri took in a sharp breath.

Kaldur shook his head and pointed at himself. "Foreigner, remember?"

"The Order of Shadows is a group of zealot assassins who's soul purpose is to serve an unbridled passion for order, or rather the passions of their leader, one that is made through bloodshed. In many ways they are similar to the Brotherhood."

"Wait, if they are so similar, why have they not talked before?" Kaldur asked.

"Their leaders have different views." Explained Wukong, he was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. "One wants to unite Ionia like an empire, the other just wants pure power."

"Who is who in this scenario?"

"It does not matter." Interrupted Yi. "The point is that they are working together, and that is a problem for Ionia as a whole."

Kaldur scoffed. "So, we trekked all the way here in the hopes of helping a small village, and what we got was a giant conspiracy where an entire country is in trouble."

Following Wukongs lead, Kaldur leaned against a tree. "The things I get myself into."

"How do we stop it?" Asked Ahri.

"Fortunately, that is the good news." Yi commented. "The only reason they are working together is due to the strategic placement of the Brotherhood in this city."

"So, we move them, and the Order no longer likes them?"

"Precisely." Yi affirmed.

"Time to beat some heads." Smiled Wukong.

"Patience my friend. There are still some smaller details we need to go over."

Wukong paused mid draw of his staff with a disappointed look on his face. "Figures you would say that."

The plan was simple, at least for Kaldur. In order to get the Brotherhood to move, there had to be no reason for them to stay. While that was all fine and dandy, the problem they faced was determining the reason for the Brotherhoods occupation. It took most of the day, and a little spying from Wukong, but it was revealed to Kaldur that the area in question had a high concentration of magic energy within it. According to Yi, while the Brotherhood had no use for it, the Order of Shadows was known for seeking large quantities of stored magic.

"Hold up." Began Kaldur. "If they are here for the forest in question, how are we going to get them to move?"

"The Order has, in their presence, many items unique to the task of hording stored magic." Yi answered.

"Like world runes?" Kaldur asked, leaning on his hands as the four sat at a small table on the outskirts of a miniature tavern.

"Similar, but many aspects of the world runes remain a mystery. These objects are intended to only store magic, much like the aim of Hextech."

Kaldur dropped his shoulders. "I have no idea what that is."

"Not really that important." Interrupted Wukong. "The plan Yi, the plan."

Yi shook his head at his partners abruptness. "The objective is to destroy the crystal that is being brought from the Order. If the Brotherhood were to show its incompetence in handling these objects, the Order would no longer trust them. Thus, the Brotherhood would have no reason to waste troops on an area such as this."

"Won't they try again?" Kaldur asked.

"They may." Yi answered solemnly. "Yet this is the only solution that is available to us."

Kaldur scrunched a bit in thought. "How long do you think we would have to wait before another solution presented itself?"

Yi seemed to sprout a small smile at the mention of waiting. "I am not sure, but as much as patience is suitable to most situations, if we wait for the device to be fully stored then we will not be able to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Order."

"You're learning." Wukong remarked with a sharp grin on his face.

Yi gave him a sidelong glance.

"So, when do we begin?" Ahri queried.

"Tomorrow night." Yi acclaimed. "Their charts mention an early change in shift which will offer us the perfect time to infiltrate without being seen."

Kaldur scoffed. "Oh sure, I'm stealthy."

Wukong spun around and smacked Kaldur on the back. "Ow."

"Don't worry about it. With these idiots it will be easy as … well knocking heads together."

Kaldur groaned, thinking how bad this could go.

Spending the night in separate locations, in order to attract less attention, Kaldur had a hard time falling asleep. Tossing and turning, his mind would wander to how simplistic his teams remedy was, and if a far more viable solution was available. As it didn't do him too much good to fret, Kaldur managed to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before he awoke to the clamber of doors, and voices in the streets.

Groggy and disoriented, Kaldur dressed himself, grabbed a small fruit he still didn't know the name of, and walked out to the town center. Already Ahri and Wukong were standing near the small well that lay in the center of the dirt road. As Kaldur joined them, he nodded to his companions and leaned on the wooden post perpendicular to the well where he began to eat his mystery fruit.

"You may have wanted to pull the seeds out first." Wukong mentioned, twirling his staff in boredom.

"I just spit them out." Kaldur commented. "So, where's Yi?"

"Getting a few things ready." Arhi was still dressed in her disguised outfit.

Kaldur took another bite of the fruit. It was another hour before Yi arrived in the town square, the look on his face as somber as ever.

"Let's go."

With that, the crew maneuvered towards the outskirts of the village. From here, Kaldur could see the mass of tents that were collected in the region. In the center of the area was a giant wooden wall made from the trees in the surrounding it. Upon it stood many armed brotherhood members, most carrying spears and covered in dark armor with their symbol branded on the center plate.

Yi led the group through the winding pathways of the campgrounds, making sure to keep away from the masses of members that proceeded to keep busy. Kaldur was careful to keep his head covered, and down throughout this part of the mission. As Yi had explained it to him, the Brotherhood was not fond of noxians, no matter who they were. While his other companions were not as inconspicuous as he was, Kaldur noted that many of the brotherhood who did spot them didn't look twice when the group meandered through the area. It was only when they appeared closer to the barricaded area that Kaldur began to see second looks from the opposition.

Yi took the long way around, as was normal, and before long the party had ended up near the rear of the enclosure. Stopping just short of the next bend, what Yi had determined as a blind spot from the guards, Wukong used his staff and pushed a large square of the surface into the wall making a hole big enough for a person to crawl through. Kaldur poked his head through and noticed that the wall was easily four feet thick, which made him wonder how long it took for Yi to create it. With Kaldur at the back to watch for incoming guards, the party flew through the hole one at a time. As Kaldur was the slowest, it didn't surprise him to find the party already moving forward as he came crawling through the opening.

This was where Kaldur was meant to stop. Despite all of his complaining, Yi wanted Kaldur to close the exit and watch it hidden. Compared to the rest of the party members, Kaldur was the least experienced, the least powerful, and had no concept of stealth which meant he could blow the mission before they even got close. Eventually Kaldur conceded to Master Yi's point of view and agreed to remain behind, no matter how much he disliked it.

Infusing his body with magic, Kaldur lifted the large square section of wall and inserted it into the opening in the wall, careful not to make any noise. Once he was sure that the opening couldn't be seen by a meandering passerby, Kaldur ducked behind a section of conveniently placed crates that were covered in a loose cloth tarp. Sitting down, Kaldur watched as his companions disappeared into the dark overgrowth which had overtaken the inside of the walled area.

Making himself comfortable, Kaldur made sure to get a good look at the internals of this place before his party returned. The fortress was a little less impressive than Kaldur had imagined it. While the large wooden wall circled the area, with buttresses acting as braces on the internal side, he found that the inside was filled covered in mud from the wall to the center structure, with supplies strewn about the place and guards wandering in an aimless manner. Not quite what Kaldur had presumed to be normal Ionian architecture. The center object, however, was a different story. At first, he wasn't sure if it was a large plant or a stone structure, but the vines entwining the gaping maw of the rocky building made it clear that this place didn't belong here. The small village sat in the midst of a forest, one with large trees resembling the massive oaks of his word. Mists, brush, grass and moss filled the gaps in the wildlife; not vines designed to surrogate a swampland. This structure was an oddity, even for the mass of weird that Kaldur had been exposed to over the months. In a way it reminded him of the temple where he trained with Lee Sin.

Shaking his head at the momentary distraction, Kaldur returned his focus to the mission and began to canvas the area.

It took a good half hour before Kaldur began to notice a change in the guards' behavior. With a plethora of people coming in and out of the tunnel entrance, Kaldur had to be careful with when he looked. He still wasn't good at using his magic to observe his surroundings but he was able to tell if their was a presence near him and thus could keep track of the guards patterns and movements. From here he noticed that there was an unusual amount of guards entering the structure.

After a few moments the ground made a tremendous shake, and then the yelling started. Kaldur could hear many Brotherhood members shouting both inside, and outside, the tunnel entrance. Many slurs and exclamations were passed, and while Kaldur couldn't understand many of them he did understand the words for 'intruder'.

They had been spotted.

Kaldur was half tempted to run into the tunnels after them, but didn't know where they would be and could become a liability himself if he were to be caught or lost. Resisting the urge, Kaldur stayed put and waited for his companions to arrive from the cave.

The wait was agonizing, and the longer it took the more Kaldur's urge to jump in hounded him. Finally, as his urge peaked, Kaldur saw Ahri run through the tunnel entrance; a limping Wukong handing off her shoulder.

Kaldur's heart dropped, something went terribly wrong.

Shaking his doubts, Kaldur shifted over to their self-made exit and began to tug at the small indentation he made to grip it easier. With a small exertion, and a grunt, Kaldur slid the wooden brick out of its place to leave the exit wide open.

Turning around, Kaldur noticed that Yi was now right behind the escaping group. With a small burst of power, Ahri carried Wukong through the hole with a glowing dash and Yi just disappeared before Kaldur's eyes. Jumping in after his group, the party started their way back through the chaos of the campgrounds. Kaldur was quite sure that many members of the Brotherhood had spotted them as they made their way to the outskirts of the town, but like earlier, they paid no mind. While it did cause Kaldur to raise an eyebrow, he didn't question his good fortune and decided those questions could be answered at a safer point in time.

It took nearly ten minutes of meandering, backtracking, and hiding before the group was a safe distance into the woods and away from the brotherhoods raging alarms.

"Wukong, you ok?" Asked Kaldur.

"Do I look ok?" Wukong was clearly enraged; and after many insults in Ionian, Yi managed to calm his companion with a quick reassuring hand.

Wukong didn't look to much worse for wear, but as Kaldur's gaze fell lower he noticed a large gash on the Vastayans leg.

"What happened?" Kaldur asked, not entirely sure if this was the time.

"Zed." Ahri answered, her eyes were glowing brightly in anger and her teeth were clenched as they seethed the answer forward.

"Who the hell is Zed?"

Wukong grunted. "You know that man we were telling you about, the leader of The Order of Shadows?"

"Vaguely, you guys weren't very clear on the subject."

"That is Zed. The man is a master assassin with a power that is … ridiculously powerful."

Kaldur shrugged. "Redundant, but I get the picture. So, he was there?"

"This situation has become far more complicated." Yi interrupted, he was looking at Kaldur. "You need to leave early."

Kaldur's jaw dropped. "What the hell happened in there?!"

"It is too complicated, and by all means an Ionian matter. You have no say in this."

Kaldur was confused. This man who had been training him for over a month was now just kicking him to the curb like some lost trash that he no longer needed. Kaldur's anger erupted.

"Why you bas…"

Ahri stepped in front of him.

"Ahri, please tell me you have an explanation."

Ahri took a deep breath and looking into his eyes, keeping hers from showing any emotion. "There is more here than we thought, Kaldur. If you stay, this situation could be worse than in already is."

Kaldur was seething. "Not you too, Ahri. I hate being kept in the dark, especially if I am involved somehow."

Kaldur couldn't quite tell, but he was sure that Ahri wanted to tell him, but something was holder her back.

"For the love of … just tell him!" Wukong yelled. "The guy has a right to know and there is no harm in it. For all we know we could be putting him in more danger by NOT telling him."

Yi backed up to a tree and stood there for a good long while before making a decision. "So be it."

Ahri looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Zed is not just looking to gather exuberant amounts of magical energy, he wants the power of the world runes as well. Specifically, the one that is inside you Kaldur."

Kaldur was a little take a back. "Wait, how does he know?"

"When I received the message from Lee Sin," Yi began. "He had explained your condition to me in great detail, and told me of the world rune that resides within you."

Kaldur had always wondered why Yi never asked about the origins of this power, now the explanation seemed abundantly clear.

"He had also mentioned that there may be others who know the existence of the rune. Many may not be so inclined to care for the host who holds it."

Kaldur drew a sharp breath. "How much does Zed know."

"I don't know what he knows, personally. But it became apparent that he knew of its existence as we progressed further into the temple."

Suddenly Kaldur remembered the objective of the mission in the first place. "Hold up. Left turn. Did you guys destroy the device?"

"Yes." Answered Ahri. "It should buy this place a few more months, but … the fight may last for a lot longer than was anticipated."

"The more reason for you to leave, Kaldur." Yi urged. "If you are out of Ionia, and for better luck out of this world, then no one can steal the power you have acquired."

"What about my training? I still have very little control over this power, and with a sword for that matter."

Yi shook his head. "As much as it would please me to continue your training, this matter has become something neither I, nor Wukong, can ignore. You must continue your journey on your own."

Kaldur leaned back on the trunk of one of the larger trees, crossed his arms and delved into his thoughts for good while. He wasn't sure what the right path was for him, but he was sure that Yi knew what was best in this scenario. In all the time he spent in this world, Kaldur never experienced a dull moment yet he knew that he had to get home, and with the world rune inside him, he was all more a danger to those around him should people get a hold of it.

"I know that World Runes are quite powerful, but just how dangerous are they?"

"They are the laws of magic in this world given form." Yi explained. "None can control them, and very few can resist them. It is odd that one can even be bonded to a man without so much as a minor consequence."

"So, you're saying I am an oddity."

"Very much so. There is only one person who is even close to what you are, and that man was destroyed and recreated in the image that the rune shard wanted."

Kaldur made up his mind. "Alright. I'll head to Piltover. That was were I was going in the first place, not like it is much of a change in plans."

Yi nodded. "We cannot reveal ourselves here for a time so Wukong and myself will take you to the coast. Once we do, there will be a few places on which you can travel by ferry to the Isle of Zhyun. There you can find a ship which will take you to Piltover."

With an agreement on the plan, Yi, and an injured Wukong, took Ahri and Kaldur to the coast. With the speed at which they were traveling, the group reached the nearest port town within the week. Not wasting any time on supplies, or even bothering to stay, Kaldur and Ahri boarded the most recent ferry which was to make its way to the city of Zhyunia.

"Hey," called Wukong, walking on his fixed leg over to Kaldur. "Don't get yourself into too much trouble when I am not there. You've done good, soon you may even be able to present a small challenge."

Kaldur made a big grin. "Oh, don't worry. Next time I see you I'll beat you into the ground."

Wukong made a wicked monkey-like laugh and held his arm up. "Good luck with that."

Kaldur reached his arm out and interlocked it with his. "Take care of yourself."

Watching as Wukong walked away, Kaldur turned his gaze to Master Yi as he was in a quiet conversation with Ahri. He couldn't hear them at all, but from what he could tell, Ahri was denying something that Yi was asking. With a final shake of her head, Ahri and Yi came walking over to Kaldur.

"Safe travels young Kaldur." Yi departed.

"You too master. Thank you, again, for all you have done for me."

"It was my pleasure." And with a small smile, Yi spun around to join his companion.

Ahri and Kaldur walked onto the ferry and took a seat near the front as the motion of water beneath them began to increase, and the coast began to shrink from view.

"So, what was that conversation about?" Kaldur asked, a few minutes into the ferry's departure.

"Nothing to be concerned about. It was a private question."

Kaldur wanted to press further, but decided against it.


	9. The Serpents Guise

Chapter 8: The Serpents Guise

The trip was far shorter than Kaldur had expected it to be. Due to the fact that Ahri and himself were half a country away from their destination, it came as quite the shock when Kaldur found himself staring at the port city of Zhyunia a full two weeks from when they left the mere coastal town.

"So, from here we head to Raikkon, correct?" Kaldur asked, turning his head to face Ahri.

Ahri shrugged. "Unless we can find a ship here. Raikkon is known for transportation to Piltover but that isn't always the best place to find a ship."

"Hmm." Spinning around, Kaldur leaned on the railing of the ferry as he and Ahri drifted to the shore of the buzzing city streets.

Upon making port it became interesting to see how a small city such as Zhyunia could house such an enormous port. With ships varying in size from a longboat to a frigate, the waters teemed with traders and sailors that walked the smooth oaken wood docks where crates of all shapes and sizes dwelled on the portside. It was a jolly scene, as children ran to and from the many vendors that sold goods to people who walked the lines of wood and cobblestone. Kaldur's mouth even began to water as he smelled the aroma which lit the air, it was almost festive. Behind the lines of caravans and small shops stood the town itself, which housed many amazing assortments of stone and wood buildings that zigzagged the hills which lay in the center. With spiraling wood to line each of the houses, the town formed a small circle around the hill that lay at the base of the large mountain range to the east. With lanterns that struck that walkways, and paper kites that flew in the breeze filtered sky, it was as joyous a city as Kaldur had seen in Ionian.

"Stay here for a bit." Ahri ordered. "I need to refill on supplies, if anyone comes asking if you need a ship just tell them that you have one."

"Roger." Confirmed Kaldur, who then proceeded to find a nice place to sit on the dock. It wasn't long before the absence of his companion pulled Kaldur into a trance as he looked along the horizon. It had been a long time before Kaldur had ever been on the open ocean, and for many of those memories he couldn't remember the details. It filled him with excitement.

"You like the ocean kid?"

The voice made Kaldur jump and he spun around towards its location.

"Woah there. Didn't mean to startle ya."

The voice came from an old man about the age of a young grandfather. His hair was spattered with a bit of grey, and he wielded a most impressive Van Dike beard. He bore the usual Ionian skin tone and eyes shape but he felt taller than most, and while he was certainly not fat, the man had a bit of a pot belly growing under his grey tunic. Sporting a small cap that resembled a leaf, and a set of puffed out pants that tucked into his boots the man wasn't entirely startling to look at. In fact, Kaldur almost thought he looked quite friendly.

"Just taking in the beautiful sight, O-fa." Kaldur had gotten used to the fact that people started talking in noxian to him due to the resemblance.

The old man came to stand next to Kaldur and took in the sight of the shore for his own. "You can bet your sails it's a good sight. Nothing like the open ocean to put a spur in one's step."

Kaldur took note of how the slang was very similar to his world, it was probably not a coincidence either.

"Haven't been on a boat in a long time. Taking one here."

"Where ya bound to?" Asked the old man.

Kaldur felt a little suspicious of the questions the old man gave, but for some reason he felt no resistance when answering them.

"Piltover."

The old man nodded for a moment. "It's dangerous movin' through them waters. You're going to need a good ship, and a good captain."

Kaldur sighed. "Look sir, if your offering, I am sorry but I already have a ship and crew."

"Of course you do!" The old man explained. "Young Ahri wouldn't o' made off with any mere deck-swabbler!"

Kaldur closed his mouth. "The captain of our ship I presume?" he said, gesturing to the old man.

"Oaken M'alvers, at yer service sir. I cap'in the _Kyirin_." The man tipped his hat and made an odd bowing gesture.

Something about him reminded Kaldur of his own world, but he shrugged off the thought. "I really need to figure out how you all communicate with each other."

"Messengers, of course. Whaddya think we use?"

Kaldur shook his head at the comment. "Not what I was asking, but never mind."

With a small sigh of defeat, Kaldur sat with the new captain for a little over an hour before Ahri made an appearance; all the while the man droned on about his ship and the journeys he had been on. Kaldur was only half paying attention at that point.

"Making friends already, Kaldur? Who knew you had it in you."

"Shut up! Apparently, this is our captain, M'alvers. Why don't you tell me that you plan these things ahead of time? It would save me a little stress."

"I did tell you to tell anyone who asked you about a ship that you already had one."

Kaldur scoffed. "Sure, biiiiiig hint there."

Ahri smiled, and walked over to M'alvers. "O-fa."

The old man broke into a big grin. "Anythin' for you ma'am." With a small bow the man leaned in for what Kaldur thought was a kiss, but just when it looked like it would make contact with Ahri's face she stepped to the left and let the old man stumble right past her.

"Shall we get going Kaldur?"

Kaldur stood up and walked next to her. "Which boat?"

"That I bet I can help ya with." Smiled the old man as he darted to the forefront of the pair. With a spring in his step, M'alvers showed Kaldur and Ahri to a larger frigate just short the size of a small galleon. With a dark wooden furnish and grey sails, the ship looked like one from a pirate movie that Kaldur had seen all too many times, the image of the deck didn't help either. Where every member of the crew was dressed in a dark outfit, and the corners of the ship matched the black of the cannons that sat on port and starboard sides, Kaldur was beginning to think they got on the wrong boat. As he looked around, and observed the massive amounts of supplies which lay strewn on the deck floor, he noticed something odd about the entire crew. Each member was wearing a white cloth strapped to their arm.

"If yer wonderin' about the armbands, that's so we can see each-other in the dark. Them sea dwellers quite love the bright colors and sounds of other ships."

"Sea dwellers?" Kaldur asked.

M'alvers grinned maliciously. "Creatures of the deep they are. They'll tear yer boards apart if yer not careful."

Kaldur looked up at the sky as the sun began to set. "Sea monsters… your world has sea monsters."

"Yep!" Smiled the captain. "Now if you'll be so kind as to head below deck, we be departin' at high tide."

With a quick gesture to the opening in the center of the floor, M'alvers began to shout at his men in Ionian and Kaldur followed Ahri below deck. With a quick stow of their belongings in their cabin, Kaldur sat down on his bunk and looked around the rickety old enclosure he had been placed in. It was cozy for a room, and with a small bunk, and a storage area, he couldn't really ask for any more. Feeling around the bed he realized that it was a little hard, but the longer he sat there the heavier his eyes became.

Spinning around onto his back, Kaldur leaned against the small mattress and closed his eyes. Within moments he was asleep.

It was a while before Kaldur awoke to the loud creaking of the hull and the slow rock of a moving ship. Shaking his head awake, Kaldur slid out of the bunk and tried to stretch. His back felt sore. Rubbing against the pain, Kaldur left his room and walked up the sharp ladder that lead to the deck of the boat. Night had fallen by this point and Kaldur could no longer see the shores of Ionia from where he stood.

He had truly left the country.

With a deep breath of the sea air, Kaldur walked over to the edge of the vessel and leaned on the railing. It was as clear as the eye could see. The only sounds were the boat, the waves, and him as he stood here looking across the open ocean.

"Have a nice nap?" came a familiar voice from behind him.

"Yeah, didn't realize how tired I was. Though it still didn't prepare me for this."

Ahri moved up and leaned on the railing to his left. "I always preferred the forests, but the ocean does have its own charms."

With a small smile, Kaldur looked up at the sky and realized he could see the stars far clearer than he could in Ionia.

"How long will it take us to get to Piltover?" He asked.

"M'alvers says it will take half a month, maybe longer depending on the winds. Better get comfortable."

"With that bed? Not a chance."

Ahri smiled at the comment, but kept her gaze on the horizon. Kaldur seemed to lose track of time as they sat in silence overlooking the moving waves, but as he was just getting pulled in by the lull of the ocean noise, Ahri bid him goodnight and vanished into the lower bowels of the ship. Thinking that it was a good idea, Kaldur vanished to his bunk as well, all the while thinking that he may have missed something in the conversation prior.

The first week of travel was the most uneventful that Kaldur had experienced in a while, and while the ocean was a glorious sight to behold, he found that the view became far less appealing over time. Taking his time to train and keep up his strength, Kaldur was asked to help around the ship for whenever he was free. He couldn't do much around the ship, but it did come as a surprise to the crew how much Kaldur was versed in knots, which at least gave him something useful to accomplish. Since most of the crew were not versed in the Noxian tongue, Kaldur was hard pressed to communicate in Ionian and he found that he became far more adept at it when it became a necessity. Yet languages and knots were not the only aspects Kaldur attempted to master in his time here.

As time passed, Kaldur began to wonder about the three forces that came from the rune within him. He began to feel odd that their silence persisted after he so blatantly challenged their power. Yet, it still didn't stop the flow of magical energy, and Kaldur found that, with practice, he was able to access more and more of that power without consequence. In the times he spent within his chamber, Kaldur attempted to create more than just a sword out of the magical energy, to little avail. He was, however, able to create some general shapes that made for a decent shield or extra weapon, but nothing that he could use accurately.

Shaking his head at the now hundredth attempt at a second sword, Kaldur removed himself from his bunk and walked to the staircase that lead to the deck. Today was quite the sad day to sail. While most of the crew was quietly working, the surrounding waters were full of fog that hugged the edges of the ship. With no wind, the crew was forced to paddle, and some who used magic were setting up the rudder with enchantments that would keep the boat moving.

It was eerily quiet.

Walking up to Ahri, Kaldur leaned in and whispered. "What's going on?"

"Leviathans are known to be out when the fog is thick." She whispered back. "We need to be as quiet as possible if we want to get through."

Kaldur's stomach tightened, but he nodded in agreement. Watching the waters with dread, he noticed that the fog began to dim with its hazy grey, and instead was being replaced with a murky green. Kaldur didn't know how long had passed as he watched the sea, but he had held his breath multiple times and didn't realize it till he had to let it out.

Keeping his eyes on the supposed horizon, Kaldur was surprised to see a small orange flash in the distance. He wasn't sure it was actually anything important till he heard a small boom like that of a heavy gun.

Kaldur froze and looked again.

There it was again … another … and another. Kaldur spun to Ahri, and noticed that her eyes were wide.

As if the ship was hit with a bolt of energy, the crew and M'alvers began to rush around the deck and stirrings of the ship with a silent professionalism. As he watched, cannons were being loaded, and the few magic users on the ship began to use odd devices on the ship's hull.

"What is it?" Kaldur asked, gripping his hands.

"A.." Ahri began, but just as she did a loud howl could be heard throughout the entire area; echoing off the fog.

As if on que, the waters underneath the ship began to ripple violently and Kaldur was forced to grip the edge of the rails to stay on his feet.

Ahri looked over the edge to the small flashes and explosive sounds.

"They hooked it."

"Who? And what did they hook?" Kaldur asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

"A Hunting Fleet, from Bilgewater. They've hooked a monster from the sea."

Kaldur's eyebrow rose. "Isn't that a good thing for us? If the monster is preoccupied with them, we can slip by without too much trouble."

M'alvers strode up to the two by the rails. "Only if they don' see us." He answered.

Kaldur looked at him waiting for an explanation.

"Them fleets may hunt sea dwellers, but an Ionian ship is too good a deal to pass. If we can't pass em' by the time ther' done sprearin' the thing, better pray their in a good mood."

Kaldur's eyes widened.

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and once again suppressed his fear. Taking a look at M'alvers he nodded.

"How can I help?"

M'alvers grinned. "Help Sable with that rigging ther'. Ahri if …"

Kaldur didn't even hear the cannonball as it struck the mast of the ship. With a large explosion of wood chunks the entire crew froze for a moment. It was only until the loud creaking that Kaldur spun around to see the center mast of the ship falling to the nose of the ship.

Crew members scattered away from the falling wreckage as the long wooden beam fell into is partner and tore it to the hull. Kaldur quickly stepped away to safety, but as he did he noticed a crewman stuck under a large cart where the collapsing masts were headed.

Bracing his power within him, Kaldur dove towards the young man and rolled next to him as the ropes and chunks fell atop him. Creating his sword as physical as he could manifest it, Kaldur shoved the tip under the edge of the crate and lifted, making sure the leverage lifted the box off the man's legs. With a quick scatter, the crewman removed his feet and tried to stand up.

It wouldn't be in time.

Releasing his sword into oblivion, Kaldur grabbed the man under his arm and lunged to the edge of the boat. With a loud crash as the masts struck the deck of the ship, Kaldur and the young man flew off the edge of the ship into the cold waters of the ocean. The water was dark and salty as his open mouth swallowed the incoming waves of the deep. Kaldur, with his eyes burning, looked around to see that the crewman was floating next to him.

With his hand still holding the man. Kaldur kicked the water underneath him and floated to the top where the two of them poked their heads above water. Looking around, Kalder watched as the broken ship wobbled back and forth from the impact, but he could see that most of the crew was fine.

"Hey!" Kaldur shouted. "Men overboard!"

Kaldur looked at his swimming companion. The man looked scared, but he was easily keeping himself floating and kept paddling just enough to move himself to the boat. Realizing he should do the same, Kaldur pushed himself in the water and free-styled his way to the hull of the frigate.

With a little shouting, Kaldur was greeted with a rope tossed from above deck as he reached the hull. Letting the young man grab it first, Kaldur gripped the rope and hoisted himself onto the remains of the ship.

As he stumbled into the broken frigate, he finally had time to realize how cold he was. Wrapping his arms around himself, he huddled down and watched as the crew was frantically trying to salvage the ship before anything else broke. It wasn't long before Kaldur was wrapped in a blanket and Ahri stood next to him.

"That water is freak-king c-cold." He chattered with a forced smile.

Ahri, however, wasn't smiling.

"S-sorry."

"We need t' get this sorted, and fast." M'alvers ordered. "That shot were a stray. Just o'r luck."

"How long till they notice us?" Kaldur asked.

"D'know." He answered.

Kaldur shivered, but rubbed the blanket to dry himself off.

"Is there …" Kaldur began to ask, but a hand held up to stop him.

"D'ya hear that?"

Kaldur stopped for a moment to listen; there was nothing but silence. It took a bit, but Kaldur's eyes widened as he realized what that meant; they were done hunting.

Kaldur stood up and shrugged off the blanket, and watched as M'alvers quietly ordered his crew around, telling each and every member to get ready for combat. Kaldur thought it was odd that an Ionian would prepare for a fight when peace was an option, but it soon dawned on him that peace was not going to be an option if the hunters found them.

As every crewmember grabbed a weapon, the ones who were free attempted to clear the debris and free some cannons that they could use to defend themselves. Kaldur and Ahri joined them in the attempts to free some space that they could use. It was only a matter of minutes before the crew began to shift uncomfortably, and all of them looked around at the encroaching shadows.

They were here.

With the sounds of shifting water, the time for silence had ended as Kaldur looked up to see a giant Galleon appear next to the damaged frigate. The water it waded shoved the smaller ship to the side as it strode alongside the broken hull. With masts and sails the size of small buildings, the ship was a sight to behold as the metallic plating which held on the nose of the ship tore through the waters. When it came aloft, Kaldur noticed the three rows of cannons and harpoons that held to the openings in the hull. Yet it wasn't the sheer size, nor the armaments that drove the point home for Kaldur, it was the screaming and jeering crew that stood atop the deck looking at the broken vessel from on high.

It was the harpoons that shot first, breaking the silence; slamming into the deck of the frigate and binding the smaller ship to the bigger one, the two ships shook in the waters below them. Second came the swarm of black powder bullets as they rained into the crew, tearing the men apart as the screams grew louder. Not a single cannon was fired from the _Kyirin_ , as no man was able to react in time to the onslaught.

Kaldur manifested his sword quickly and hid behind whatever cover he could find. Turning his head, he noticed that many of the crew he had spent the last week with were falling to the barrage of bullets. Cringing as some came close to him, Kaldur waited till the gunfire stopped. When it did, Kaldur heard the most horrific bloodthirsty shout in his memory, which was followed by the sounds of boots hitting wood as the members from the enemy ship boarded theirs.

Removing himself from cover, Kaldur noticed that the enemy crew was far from what he expected. Dressed in garb made of shells and scales, the crew looked like it was meant to hunt in the sea. With weapons designed of jagged edges, and tattoos that showed on every bit of revealed skin, the people, if they could be called that, seemed to be one with terror; and one with the sea. Squelching the fear within him, Kaldur moved towards the first man that stood near him.

Surprise struck his opponent, but Kaldur didn't hesitate as he swung his sword in an arc with increasing speed, striking the man through his head down to his pelvis. With his eyes rolling in the back of his head, that enemy sailor fell to the floor, unconscious.

Rushing into the heat of battle, Kaldur noticed that the fighting had already resulted in casualties on both sides. Dead bodies lay near him on either side, yet as an enemy approached him Kaldur was quick to get a sharp jab in before they could do anything, and tried to focus on the fighting rather than the death that surrounded him.

Facing a man in a hooded fish suit, Kaldur just watched as the man grinned with missing teeth and held up a serrated spear. Shrugging at his stupidity, Kaldur sidestepped the first thrust and sliced at the man's hands. There was a small clutter as the spear dropped to the floor, and the man looked up at Kaldur with a simple look of shock lining his face. With no hesitation, Kaldur sliced horizontally across the man's chest and watched as he fell to the floor.

Making sure that he wouldn't be caught off guard, Kaldur observed the battle as a whole and tried to put himself in a position where he could help his crew, but wouldn't get himself killed. It was here that he noticed the lack of an Ahri running around on the boat. Keeping his attention on the enemies, and slicing a few that were distracted otherwise, Kaldur looked up to notice bright blue and pink lights reigning on the deck of the enemies' ship.

Kaldur smiled for a moment as he realized that Ahri was wreaking havoc on the enemy galleon just as he was defending theirs. Returning the rest of his attention back to the battle at hand, Kaldur rushed through the enemies he could fight without getting in anyone else's way.

Jumping into a bundle of opponent sailors, Kaldur spun an entire circle and slashed through the group, causing them to fall in a circle around him.

"Well I'll be!" Shouted a familiar voice.

Kaldur looked around to see that M'alvers was walking towards him with his friendly grin occupying his face, large spear in hand.

"If I'da known we had a'noder warrior on this ship I wouldn't a' worried for nuttin'."

Kaldur smiled in return. "Ready to send them back to where they came from?"

"Wid' pleasure."

Kaldur spun around and stood back to back with the older man. Despite his apparent age, M'alvers was quite the fighter. Using his spear to keep the distance, he allowed for Kaldur to get a good hit whenever he could, and Kaldur made sure to prevent any surprise from getting his partner. Making sure to keep their group moving, Kaldur and M'alvers slowly grabbed their fellow crewmembers and started to form a circle that could defend itself from the seemingly endless wave of Bilgewater hunters.

As they kept their formation, the fight began to progress in their favor, Kaldur noticed that they were losing less and less men as the enemy attempted to swarm the circle.

As he slid his sword though another unsuspecting seaman, a loud crack interrupted the noise of clashing metal. Kaldur looked around to see that part of the circle had broken apart, and men had scattered away from the area like pins hit by a bowling ball. Kaldur spun around to notice that a cannon had been fired from the enemy ship, and it was preparing to fire again.

"GET DOWN!" Kaldur yelled, holding out his hand toward the cannon.

He wasn't entirely sure how he did it, but as soon as his hand was fully extended forward, Kaldur felt his magic surge outwards to form a light blue, and semi-transparent, barrier that covered him and some of the surrounding crewmembers.

There was another loud bang as the cannon fired, Kaldur barely felt anything as the force pounded off the shield and flew away into the distance. At first Kaldur smiled at the fact that it worked, but as soon as he did so his head began to feel fuzzy and all magic he was controlling faded.

Stumbling backwards, he could hear shouting from M'alvers as the crew attempted to recover, but couldn't make sense of it. Suddenly he fell to his knees, but couldn't find the strength to stand back up.

It didn't take long for the circle to fall, and by the time the dizziness had passed, Kaldur had been shoved to the ground with a bullet striking him in the side of his leg.

Screaming in pain, Kaldur watched as the members of the circle were overrun, and the only person fighting was M'alvers. Spinning on his side, Kaldur observed M'alvers as the man struck at whomever he could before a group of men jumped on him, tackling him to the ground. There was a giant amount of shouting, but as the commotion separated, Kaldur saw three men drag M'alvers from the bundle and held him on the deck with his knees on the floor.

Kaldur tried to shout, but his head was in far too much pain to utter words.

His eyes glued to the companion he only knew for a short time, Kaldur's eyes began to tear as a single enemy sailor walked over to the old man, raised his spiked sword, and shoved it into the center of M'alvers chest.

With a spurt of blood out his mouth, the blade tore at M'alvers when it was removed, and after a few moments the light that was once so full of energy fled from the old man's eyes.

Gritting his teeth in an attempt to get up, Kaldur tried to scream as he forced himself to move. In his mind, he had no fear of death, he had no worry of loss, only anger remained.

"You BASTARDS!" Cried Kaldur.

With all the attention on him, a few members of the enemy crew came up to him; one even raised his sword to strike.

"Stop!" ordered a hoarse voice from behind him.

Kaldur was barely able to turn around to see who it was that staved his death, but at the moment he didn't care. Hoisted up by both of his arms, and lingering on his knees, Kaldur came face to face with a burly man of easily six feet. Without a shirt, and decorated in tattoos of all shapes and sizes, the man had a face that looked scarred and worn from years of work. His head was too fuzzy for all the details, but he could easily tell that this was the man in charge.

"This one's a magician, and a warrior to boot. We keep him, bet a fine price for him alive."

After a few disgruntled nods, Kaldur was dragged to the center of the frigate where he was placed next to a few other crewmembers taken captive, all of them were the magic users. Shaking his head, Kaldur swore that he could still hear fighting somewhere, and as he looked up he noticed Ahri was still on the enemy ship, destroying each and every person who was after her.

"Vastayan!" Called out the burly man.

There were a few more screams and blasts of energy before it quieted down. Ahri stood atop the ropes that hung from the masts, her nine tails swaying vigorously in that air, as she looked down at the frigate. At first, her bright yellow eyes showed nothing but an urge to keep fighting, but as her eyes passed over Kaldur and the others in a line, a look of worry began to show.

"You're good." Called the burly man. "Probably good enough to beat the rest of my men here. But I've got to warn you, we are not the only ship out here. After a moment, the rest of our fleet are bound to show up."

Ahri remained silent.

"Now," Began the enemy captain as he walked in front of the line of prisoners. "You could kill us all, and hope that you could escape from the fleet. But, if you did that, the lives of all the people in front of me would cease."

Ahri's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly hid the reaction.

The captain grinned; he'd noticed.

"So, I can make you a deal. If you surrender to us peacefully, no fuss, I will make sure all the men here live, and that you all are sold properly without any harm or misfortune."

Ahri stood silent for a moment, but after a moment her famous charming smile emerged.

"How about we change the terms of that deal?" She asked.

The burly man crossed his arms for a moment. "Go ahead."

"How about you give us all a small boat, put us on it, leave us be, and I won't kill you all."

The burly man smiled. "Like I would let a deal like this go that easily. You cost me half my crew alone. I need some compensation for this trip, and while a leviathan is good money, a magician is even better."

The man turned around and looked at Kaldur straight in the eyes. "And this one looks to be unique."

Taking a good look at Kaldur, the man stood up and turned around. "No, I am afraid I will not change my deal."

Ahri stood there in silence for a moment, her smile had faded. Kaldur knew what she was trying to do, if she could talk her way out of this situation then she would be home free, but she was not the one in danger here. Kaldur watched as her eyes looked directly into his, and as those brilliant lights reflected on his, Kaldur felt a terrible sense of disappointment. He had let her down, he was the reason she was forced to make this choice, and the longer he looked into her eyes the more he felt that to be true.

"Times ticking deary." The man said impatiently.

Kaldur lowered his eyes from Ahri's, no longer able to look at them.

"Alright." Answered Ahri; inside Kaldur's heart sank.

"That's good." Acknowledged the man. Turning around to his men, he raised his hand in the air and shouted. "We got a prize, boys! You will be paid well tonight!"

Cheers surrounded Kaldur, but he barely paid attention.

It didn't take long for the Bilgewater crew to take everything and pack up. All the supplies they found were put in the cargo hold, while all the prisoners were placed in the brig with many guards watching over them. It didn't take long for the enemy combatants to find their unconscious comrades, all of the ones in which Kaldur had struck down. After all the supplies were boarded, and the prisoners were hunched on the deck, the enemy captain ordered them to sink the frigate. Kaldur and Ahri were bound in chains, one on their necks that were attached to their wrists and then to their ankles. It was quite uncomfortable but Kaldur didn't pay attention and just made sure not to cause any more problems.

While the brig was a uniform section of the ship, the crew made sure to separate all of their members, which meant that Kaldur was placed as far away from Ahri as possible. It wasn't long before Kaldur noticed that the ship began to move, and while he sat in one of the darkest parts of its underbelly he could still feel the dread that emanated from the prisoners around him.

Falling in an out of consciousness, Kaldur was able to pick up some information as he listened to the ship's crew, which was a good sign to him that his curiosity still wasn't dulled by the experience. According to those he heard, they were less than a day out from Bilgewater, and while it was not normal for ships to hunt out this far, the fleet that left was known for odd risks. Kaldur's ship was just very unlucky.

It was only an hour out from what Kaldur heard as the Slaughter Docks, that a familiar voice came from the wall behind him.

"Kaldur?" Ahri asked.

At first he wanted to talk with her, more than anything now; but as he opened his mouth he felt that utter sense of defeat that he had earlier.

"I don't blame you." She continued. "It is not your fault we are here."

"Sure it isn't." He managed to say.

"Kaldur…" There was a sadness in her voice. "We can get out of this, we just need to stay together."

"Ahri, I'm the reason you're here."

"No." She answered sternly. "That was my choice. Not yours."

"Maybe…"

Ahri made an obvious sigh. "Why am I being the optimistic one here?"

Kaldur couldn't help but make a small smile. "I have no idea."

"Come now. I could use a little of that misplaced optimism."

It wasn't much, but as deeply as it hurt Kaldur knew that if he were to give up now there would be nothing left.

"Alright. As long as we stick together we have a chance." Kaldur managed to say, trying to leave the doubt away from his voice.

Kaldur could feel the small smile from Ahri before she spoke. "That's better."

It wasn't long before the crew came to grab the remaining prisoners and haul them up to the deck. When Kaldur emerged from the bowels of the dark slaughter ship, it came as a large shock when he was able to see the emergence of Bilgewater.

The island was nothing like Kaldur had expected it to be, especially as the sun was setting. With tall rocky cliff faces, the massive island was a collogue of ruined ships and materials turned into homes with a burning firelight. The island was huge, but unlike most of the pictures Kaldur had seen as a kid, these isles had no beaches and palm trees but rather jungle underbrush strapped onto large mountainous rocks that emerged like spears through the sea. The fleet of ships that Kaldur accompanied were heading through an odd overpass that looked like a semi-circle stone hole which lead into the heart of the city structure. From what he could see, the city itself spanned most of the island, or at least all that his vision caught. With many small lanterns and lights keeping the structures in sight, Kaldur watched as the docks on the lowest section were far more rugged than the buildings, if one could call them that, that sat atop the highest points of the island.

The structures were easily made out of the remains of wrecked ships and drift wood; yet they were not the only ones there. Some creations looked far less temporary than the dwellings of the marauders that held him captive. As Kaldur gazed around the exterior of the isles, he found that there were many small turret-like structures that sat half covered in the ocean's waters. Each one looked to have been made of serpentine fish whose maws opened to swallow the water that passed through their teeth.

"Serpent Callers." Came a gruff voice from behind Kaldur.

Turing around, Kaldur was face to face with the leader of the crew. Now that his head was far clearer than it had been before, he was able to make out the details of the burly six-foot. Aside from his shirtless exterior covered in tattoos of sea-creatures and hooks, the man had a torn-up face that made it look like he had too many altercations with the ocean wildlife. The man still had both of his eyes, each a dark green like that of the ocean, and his head carried with it a full mane tattered with grey stripes. His beard was quite burly and thick but was dreaded in many places and sown together with small bones and metal pieces.

"Come again?" Kaldur asked, his gaze stern towards his captor.

"Those are the names of the pillars you keep looking at." Smiled the man.

Kaldur was a little disturbed by the man's skill at observation, but in all the cases that they had met, the leader was far from crude; in fact, it was easy to say that he wasn't unpleasant to be around.

"What are they for?" Kaldur asked returning his gaze to the open maws.

The burly fellow smoothed his way next to Kaldur, careful not to trip on the dangling chains.

"They serve as this islands defense, and its terror. Each one can keep a bearded lady at bay."

"Bearded lady?" Kaldur asked, his eyebrows raised.

"This." The gruff individual pointed at his shoulder where the image of a tentacled, multi-eyed, creature stood poised against a large galleon; one that was nearly a hundredth of its size.

Kaldur shuddered a bit at the thought. The man laughed heartily, his large hand gripping his stomach.

"What's your name kid?" The bearded individual asked, wiping a tear from his eye.

Kaldur was unsure about friending his captor, but he was quite positive that it would be far worse should he mouth off.

"Kaldur." He answered.

"Kaldur, huh? Not a name I've heard before, but we do get the strangest around here, all from far and wide."

There was a small pause as the man leaned a little far forward. "Names Grend, sailor, harpooner, and hunter by trade."

Kaldur nodded in a halfhearted greeting.

"Don't worry kid. My men and I have never mistreated a prisoner in our lives, can't say the same thing about my old boss, but just be sure that while you are in my hands, I will keep you and your young lady friend safe."

Grend made a big grin and turned around to see to the rest of his men. Kaldur didn't have the heart to tell him that Ahri was the older of the two.

Kaldur wasn't quite sure how to react to the cheery exterior that the man portrayed, but it didn't ease his suspicion, anger, or disappointment in himself; he was a prisoner of men he knew nothing of. Shaking his head at the thoughts of the future, Kaldur turned his attention to the docks as the ships pulled in to the harbor.

The Slaughter Docks were just as the name implied. Here steam and smoke rose from the ground as machines worked to carry large monsters onto platforms by chained hooks. As Kaldur observed he saw that the creatures that were mounted onto the platforms were being strewn apart bit by bit, each creature the size of a large ship or bigger. Looking down he noticed that much of the chum, blood, tissue that fell into the harbor water was immediately attacked by something resembling sharks which stirred up a fine froth over the colored blue water. It wasn't just the sections near the docks that imitated this behavior, however; it was happening all around the harbor as the chained and harpooned creatures were dragged through the water.

Looking up, Kaldur noticed that many platforms in the back, behind the slaughtering of creatures, were moving up and down like elevators with supplies and weapons that took the items farther up the chain of buildings. Each one making this place look more and more that of an old industrial complex.

"Hoist to port!" called Grend from the upper deck. "Make sure the Caller gets that creature into Marris' dock. I don't want that thing in the water any more than it has been."

Kaldur watched as three other ships within the small fleet of five began to wane towards the docks, dragging the giant bulb of a creature with them.

"As for us, I want boats in the water and this train of vagabonds near the warehouses before the sun sets."

Kaldur was led by chains to the edge of the ship where long ladders were dropped towards the long boats which had previously lay in the center of the deck. As the smaller boats were levied into the air by ropes, and dropped into the ocean below, Kaldur and the rest of the prisoners were tossed into the loose skiffs where the waves that wracked the harbor shook them in return. With Grend sitting in his and Ahri's ship, the prisoners began their trudge into the depths of the city of Bilgewater.

The internals of the city were far more complex than Kaldur had first observed. While the entire city was sure made of old ship parts, it was not just a mismatch of pieces; oddly enough there seemed to be an order to this chaos. With rope bridges, ladders, platforms, and machines that bound the crossways of the upper levels; the higher the city went the wealthier the city looked. On the lowest level near the rivers, and docks, stood the businesses and shady alleys that were lit with torches and a green hue of the ocean surface. Each building looked like it was the slums of the underground, where around every corner was a seedy bar and someone playing a game of cards or dice. Here it seemed like every person was doing something, whether it was to survive or to thrive.

Rounding the bend of the river, the longboats stopped at a small wooded dock where Grend and his men jumped off the skiffs and tied them to the wooden posts, each littered with barnacles from the resulting water. Dragged off the boat by his chains, along with the rest of the magic users, Kaldur was led along the wooden walkways that outlined the buildings on the base level. Taking a left down one of the more sinister alleyways, Kaldur was directed up a set of stairs where he spiraled to the next level of the industrial chain. The floor was still made of wooden planks as before but instead there was a small sense of vertigo in Kaldur's head as he heard the floor creak beneath his feet, each step making his stomach clench with his uncertainty of the footing.

At this point it became clear that Grend didn't like followers and didn't like the way that people eyed whatever he deemed as a prize because, as Kaldur observed, they had passed the same intersection twice along their way through the second level of the city. With a quick maze check, Grend finally settled that they were clear to move on and the bound members arrived in front of a small tavern that read 'The Lonely Wharf Rat' in the Noxian tongue. Kaldur wasn't entirely sure what a Wharf Rat was, but he was quite certain that if it was anything like a real rat, they were pests of a vicious nature.

The crew made their way through the tight wooden entrance to the establishment, where Kaldur and Ahri were greeted by a softly lit bar and a plethora of tables that were made of rough wooden circles surrounded by small stools. Roped netting layered the walls while the lights made of either fire or small blue crystals, what Kaldur assumed was hextech, were scattered in between the gaps. The bar was easily full with all manner of alcohol and a thin bald man in a tight leather suit made of some aquatic skin was standing behind the counter where he was making a set of drinks as the crew of the fleet came wandering through the door.

"How many will it be Grend?" Asked the man behind the counter.

"Have Mary bring mine up to the room, I have a few appointments to make."

"Understood." Accepted the man.

Grend spun around to the first member of his crew he could see before speaking. "Derk, take this lot to the merry room. I want three guards on them at all times, and for the sake of all keep the chains on." He paused for a moment, thinking. "And keep them separated!"

"Aye, sir." Responded Derk before he led the group by the arm with the rest of his men helping.

Entering through a draped door in the back that was covered in orange and red silk, Kaldur found himself in a hallway lit with red lanterns and covered in red silk which barricaded the door openings of the many rooms that came along with it. At first it was confusion that layered Kaldur's mind as he walked along the carpeted floor, but as the sounds of moaning echoed through the openings in the drapery the sudden urge to leave this place became all the more paramount. Blushing a little too deeply Kaldur looked up to see that Ahri had a small mischievous grin on her face as she noticed the sounds. Noticing his gaze upon her, Ahri squinted her eyes and made a far more vigorous smile at Kaldur making him spin his head away in fervor.

Ahri chuckled under her breath at her companions' obvious discomfort.

Arriving at the rear of the hallway, Kaldur entered the studded wooden door and found himself in a massive bedchamber. Lined with red silk drapes that hung from the ceiling, the room was made to set a mood for those who partook within its walls. As the floor was carpeted with some odd wool, and candles could be seen around every bend, the oddest part of the room were the mass of cages that stood half buried into the outer walls of the room.

At first Kaldur couldn't tell what the use would be for these objects in a room such as this, but as his gaze fell to the spaces in between them he realized exactly what this room was for.

"They even have this crap here!?" Kaldur spoke in shock.

Derk seemed to pause for a moment before spinning his head towards Kaldur. "I can feel ya kid. Place don't set right with me either." The man stated with a grimace.

Shaking his head, Derk directed each of the Ionian magicians, Kaldur, and Ahri to their own individual cages; quite careful to keep Kaldur and Ahri on separate sections of the room. Taking in the numbers, it was the first time Kaldur had remembered that there were eleven prisoners in total and only ten cages in the room. At first it seemed like their would be a pair stuck in a singular cage, but that idea didn't seem to be the case.

It was quite the shock to Kaldur, and the others, as one of the magic users who were in his group struck back at the nearest guard, chucking him into the cage wall, chains rattling.

The man looked like a smaller and more wrinkled version of an elf that was plastered with pale skin. While he didn't look harmful, it was clear that this man had been around the sea a few times. Elbowing the nearest guard in the stomach, the chains that this man wore around his neck, arms, and ankles didn't slow him down. Kaldur himself felt the need to join in the commotion. As the older magician stopped his spin, his arms raised above him and he began to chant. At first, the guards seemed to freeze as they heard the words being uttered in the Ionian tongue. Yet as the chanting finished, it was only silence that proceeded afterwards.

The guards began to laugh.

It was a horrid laugh, one that held only hysteria for a man who had attempted to save his own life. The magic he wished to utter did not work.

With a quick flip of his wrist, the magician struck at the guards once more, but the motion was stopped as the enemy blocked the man's attack. With a small motion and some tussling of the remaining guards, the magician was pounded into the floor with the blood from the blows scattering on the walls behind him.

Kaldur wasn't entirely sure that the Ionian was still alive, but in his mind the brutality of his situation came back into focus.

He was still a prisoner, and he was unable to use his magic.

Looking down at his chains he was quite positive that it was the shackles that prevented him from using his magic.

"Anyone else want to cause a bit o' ruckus?" Threatened one of the guards, he was standing over the beaten Ionian with a look of pure enjoyment over his face.

"Get them in the cages!" Barked Derk.

After a few well-placed shoves, and many locks, all of the prisoners were within a separate cage. Kaldur himself sat on the floor and placed his back against the bars on the far edge to watch the room in front of him. Ahri was placed within the cage across from him but each of them focused on the area surrounding them rather than each other, both hoping to find an opening of which escape was possible, despite the pressure they felt.

Kaldur looked down at his feet only to realize just how tired he was. Despite all that had happened Kaldur realized that he was going to need his rest for whatever lay in store for him. Closing his eyes he began to drift to sleep, letting the escaping bliss surround him.


	10. Rough and Ready

Authors Statement: Hey guys, thank all of you who have been around this entire time to watch this story grow. I have not been as proficient with updating these latest chapters but i hope this will do it for you. This is the longest chapter to date and I hope to have the next chapter out soon. I am currently talking with some people who manage the lore of League of Legends, and am trying to make this story as good and as canon worthy (despite the fact that it may never be) as possible. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 9: Rough and Ready

Kaldur awoke to the sound of metal striking metal and a man, whose voice he didn't recognize, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Alright shark bait, time to get up!"

Kaldur opened his eyes and was greeted by the bars of his cage, and the soreness of sleeping while sitting. Taking a look around the room to remove the grogginess of his mind, Kaldur watched as the cages were opened one by one, and the prisoners who stepped out were herded through the door.

At first Kaldur was wondering if they were moving all of the prisoners to a different location, but when Kaldur and Ahri were left in their cages away from the others, it seemed to be something different. Stretching his sore limbs as much as he could with the chains restrictions, Kaldur stood up and waited by the door to his cage. With the wound in his leg, Kaldur flinched a couple of times at the pain.

The man who was watching the other magicians exit the room seemed to notice the movement and tilted his serrated spear in his direction.

"Not you." The man called. "Capn' wants a word."

Kaldur shrugged his shoulders and began to pace the floor of his cage as his gaze fixated on whatever was interesting at the time. Kaldur had found that on multiple occasions his view would pan to Ahri, who was sitting in a meditative position with her eyes closed. Determined not to bother her with whatever she was doing, Kaldur just looked to make sure she was ok before continuing to gaze upon the rest of the room.

After the last remaining prisoner had left the room, so did the guards who were watching them. It was only a brief moment of silence before the door reopened, and in walked Grend in all his splendor, only this time he was wearing a sleeveless top that looked to be made of hard wool.

"Greetings you two. Hope your night was uneventful?" A big grin spread across his face, stretching his braided beard to mimic the smile.

Instantly the image of the beaten sailor came to Kaldurs mind, and before he could stop himself, the words came out of his mouth.

"I thought you didn't mistreat your prisoners?" Kaldur asked, a small glare coming from his eyes.

"I said I didn't mistreat them, not what happens if they attempt escape." The grin vanished from Grends face in a blink.

"Now I came down here to speak about your futures, if you test me those futures can look pretty bleak; understand?"

Kaldur didn't feel angry, but he was sure annoyed by these circumstances. Begrudgingly he nodded.

The grin on Grends face returned. "Now then, here's how this is going to work. Vastayan, you listening?"

Ahri's ears twitched in response, but to make sure Grend knew she was paying attention, she opened her eyes, the bright yellow that came out was deadly.

"Slavery here works a little different than it does in Shurima. There is no class system, there is no work force, there is you, your boss, and money. Higher-ups pay good money for magic users, and when they get sold I get paid."

Striding farther into the room, Grend reached past the bed and grabbed a small cushioned chair. Placing it with the back facing the door, Grend straddled the chair in between the two cages and rested his arms comfortably on top of the back before continuing.

"Now, in order to get the most of what I catch, there will be a series of tests that you and the rest of the magicians will do to show my clients what you can do. The better you do, the more clients want you, and the more they are willing to pay. By the end of the month, I should have a slew of clients that want you."

A big grin crossed his face as he looked at Ahri. "And the two of you are my golden chests. Especially you Vastayan."

Kaldur watched as Grend eyed Ahri with a greedy look, and the longer it stood the more the knot in his stomach grew.

"Now I am not that cruel," Grend continued. "If I can keep you both as a pair I will do that."

Ahri raised an eyebrow. "And how would that benefit you?"

Grends face kept his grin, but his eyes seemed to tell an all too different story. "This land, and the seas that surround it, can be a boon to those willing to put in the work, and those willing to struggle. But all too often does it strive to break those who don't belong, it doesn't do good to go through that alone."

"So, you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart?" Ahri asked condescendingly.

Grend laughed. "Don't get me wrong young lady, I do this for profit and nothing more. If I see a better opportunity, I'll take it."

Standing up, Grend put the chair back and turned towards the door; stopping before he opened it, Grend turned to Kaldur.

"Don't worry kid, I take care of my prize's. And when your bought by someone else, I have no worries that you will do well."

The next few days served as a learning curve for Kaldur. While he was fed, sheltered, and generally taken care of, he was still bound by these mysterious chains that nullified his abilities. Whenever he had spare time, which was few and far between, Kaldur attempted to experiment with the shackles that bound him. From what he could tell, he could still feel the magic flow through him, but every time he attempted to summon it, the magic felt like it fluttered away from where he directed it.

In between the food, and well needed rest, Kaldur and Ahri were taken far into the bowels of the island city. At first, Kaldur assumed that he was going to be worked before he could be tested on his abilities, but as the small boat came through the small canals of Bilgewater's underbelly the two companions came across something completely different.

Kaldur sat cross legged apart from Ahri in the small craft. Still bound by chains, and crushed next to Grend and his companion Derk, Kaldur kept trying to shift around to make himself comfortable. As the boat came around the last bend of wooden docking, the small band came face to face with the mountain side that shot straight into the air out of sight. In front of them looked like the entrance to a sewage tunnel where the water continued into the dark abyss that crept into the tunnel. While the structure was that of simple stone blocks in a brick patterns, the entrance felt far more menacing than it looked. With a small push of the oar, Derk directed the scuttle into the darkness.

It took a bit for Kaldur's eyes to adjust, but once they did, he noticed that the pathway was just that: a series of sewer tunnels which spread out like a maze. Curious why they would be here of all places, but not wanting to ask the question, Kaldur tried to keep track of every turn that Derk made with the boat in order to remember the path.

At first, they kept straight with the first two potential turns, but when they reached the third, the boat made a sharp left, proceeded by a right, another right, and then kept straight. After a few missed turns, the group made a double left turn and then an immediate right entering a large lit cavern that was shaped like a dome.

As the boat skimmed to a halt in a large bay area, Grend leapt off the boat and onto the shore area that was covered in dead sea coral and scattering rats with shark like appendages.

"Alright, off." Grend ordered.

Following Ahri and Derk, Kaldur stepped off the boat and onto the ground. The dome area was far larger than Kaldur initially thought, and in reminiscence it looked a lot like a coliseum. With stairs to his left that lead up to the top of a large cylindrical base, the entire center of the domed area was a rocky circular platform which was surrounded by the water in which the group had entered. The platform was nearly ten feet above the water, and as he came to the top of the massive cylinder he noticed many more sewer entrances that connected to the watery ring that surrounded them. The ceiling which made up the dome was a cream white that looked very similar to the chains he wore on his wrists; not only did it encircle the entire cavern, there were many small entrances on the walls which lead to a few rings of railed outlooks that circled the inner dome.

In the center of the dome, which sat atop the circle platform, was a smaller dome made of metal bars which was well lit and looked like a child's playground.

"This is where we will be spending our time till the tide lowers again." Grend explained.

"Kinky." Kaldur remarked, not able to help himself.

"Kinky?" Grend asked, eyebrow raised.

Kaldur chuckled. "Nevermind. Bad joke."

Grend shrugged and continued his explanation. "This is where you two will be practicing your magic and showing me what you can do. The roof itself is made of petricite; like those chains you have on, they prevent you from using your magic. Since the material has a bit of a range, the dome in the center is the only area where you can use your stuff. Here is where you will be tested in the future, so I want you to get used to it and be able to perform."

Kaldur paused for a moment as a thought struck him. "You said us, but what about the other magicians?"

Grend shook his head. "Getting the two of you in here without getting seen is hard enough, if my men were to find out I let the magicians use their magic, no amount of charisma is gonna change their attitude."

"Why?"

"I want the best price I can get for what I caught, if you lose practice you lose favor and I lose money. Since you two are interesting both of you will be worth the rest of those squablers combined."

"Careful not to put all your hopes on one dream." Ahri remarked, her head was turned away from the three others but Kaldur could tell something was off.

Trying not to seem as sentimental as he was, Kaldur turned to Grend. "So when do we start?"

Grend's infamous grin appeared. "That's the spirit."

Leading Kaldur and Ahri into the monkey cage, Grend removed their shackles and collars before stepping out and closing the makeshift door behind them. Rubbing his wrists from how sore they were, Kaldur began to warm up in his usual fashion, allowing his body and mind to free up. Ahri, on the other hand, moved to the middle of the cage and stood there for a moment, taking in deep breaths.

"You okay?" Kaldur asked, prepping to do a few squats.

Ahri didn't look back at him, but did a small smile before she replied. "I'm fine."

Kaldur paused for a moment, doubting her words. A few days ago she was trying to keep his spirits up, now she seemed … off. Shaking his head and blaming his lack of social ability for reading too deep into this, Kaldur continued what he was doing while talking to Grend. The big man turned around and found a small bench that sat near the edge of the circle to sit on while Kaldur talked.

"So, what stops magicians from using their magic on someone while they are in the cage? I mean, While you were taking our chains of, either myself or Ahri could have taken you as hostage."

Grend paused, then began laughing hysterically. "HA! You _are_ young! First, I have a counter question for you: why didn't you do that?"

Kaldur thought for a moment. "Because even if I did I would be weaker as I tried to move out, then you could overpower… ah…"

Grend laughed again, Kaldur could swear he saw tears. "Exactly. I will grant you that most Ionians know a fair amount of hand to hand combat, but if you're a mage you become less of a threat without your magic."

"I don't know." Kaldur began sarcastically. "I think I could take you."

Grend still had a small smile on his face, but he shook his head. "You're gettin' a little too comfortable there Kaldur. Besides, I'm not stupid enough to fight you in that ring, and even if I did die to you in that ring, Derk here is more than capable of takin' you out without your magic."

Derk's head perked up a bit at that statement.

Leaning back Grend gave another smile. "Now, let's see what you can do."

The next plethora of hours were filled with Grend examining their powers and abilities; and while Kaldur was skeptical about showing his captor what he could do, it didn't mean he couldn't show off a little of what Grend had already seen when they fought before. With few meals in between, and a rigorous demand to fulfill Grend's curiosity, Kaldur began to wonder why he ever thought that his master Lee was harsh. As the first day came to a close, Kaldur and Ahri were once again bound and taken back to the tavern where they spent their night in the cage; and as the sun began to rise so did the same regime.

This process constituted most of the days for the next few weeks, and while Kaldur used it as an opportunity to gain strength, he was also using it as a chance to examine the layout of what he could see of Bilgewater; and if possible, a way to escape.

The city itself seemed the same as he first observed it, but as he watched the people on the docks he began to notice some odd things about its culture. Upon his first assumption Bilgewater was a den of thieves and brigands, but upon closer inspection people did not just look out for themselves. While there were many territorial disputes, and bickering over money, if there was a tight nit group of people those individuals were fiercely loyal to one another. With Grend to help fill in the blanks, it was also apparent that pirates and sailors were not the only dwellers on this isle. From what was explained, many natives to this island called Bilgewater the Serpent Isles or Blue Flame Isles. Each was highly respected, and while some participated in the piracy of their everyday lives, some ran the temples that are revered on the islands.

"Kaldur, see if you can infuse Ahri with your magic." Grend asked.

The island was not the only thing that had surprised Kaldur during their tenure here, Grend had proven to be a very curious individual about the ways of magic, and while he denied it fervently whenever the question was posed to him, Kaldur wondered if the man was more adept at the ways of this than he let on.

"Sorry, what?" Kaldur asked.

"See if your magic can interact with Ahri." Grend specified.

Kaldur turned to look at Ahri, who was sitting cross legged in the center of the inner cage; her back turned to them.

"Um, ok."

Kaldur shrugged and walked over to Ahri; making sure to keep his voice low. "Do you know what he is talking about?"

"No idea." Ahri responded, keeping her back to him.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. During the last few weeks, Ahri seemed different than normal. At first Kaldur kept shrugging off the idea that something was wrong and pushed on with his observation of the city, but as the weeks crept, his gut began to feel a small amount of worry as he watched her.

Walking in front of her and kneeling down, Kaldur stared straight at her. "What's wrong?"

"I am fine, Kaldur." She replied, her eyes closed.

Kaldur took a deep sigh, and kept his voice low. "Look, I may be clueless, but even I can tell that something is wrong. I mean, at first you were the one trying to keep me from …" Kaldur looked down.

With a breath of shock, Kaldur noticed a set of bruises of Ahri's wrists and neck from where the shackles had been. At first, Kaldur thought they were just marks on her skin, but upon closer inspection, he realized that they were not bruises, but instead it looked like the skin was being eaten away.

"What is that!?" Kaldur seethed, trying to not sound that urgent.

"I have already said I am fine." Ahri stated, keeping her voice calm and collected.

"That's not…"

"Is there a problem?" Grend asked, interrupting.

Kaldur winced, and looked over Ahri's shoulder at him. "Just trying to figure this out, takes a bit of collaboration."

Grend raised an eyebrow, but after a few moments shrugged his shoulders and motioned to continue.

Kaldur returned his attention to Ahri. "What are these?" Kaldur asked again, pointing to the marks on her wrists.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with." Ahi replied.

Kaldur was taken a little aback, Ahri was stubborn, but this was something else entirely. Wracking his brain, Kaldur thought of what the chains were made out of and finally put the pieces together.

"The shackles, they don't just nullify your magic, do they?"

Ahri's eyes open slightly. "This is nothing you need to worry about."

"Ahri, this is serious. If I noticed this, there is no way Grend hasn't. If you end up weaker, or even sick, because of the perticite, than Grend may have no choice but to do something worse."

Ahri kept her eyes lowered to the floor, remaining silent.

Kaldur looked up for a moment, when it suddenly hit him. "Grend does already know, that's why he asked me to infuse you with magic."

With an excited look on his face, Kaldur gazed back at Ahri. "Take my memories."

Ahri shot up with a painful look on her face. "Kaldur, no…"

"It's the best option." Kaldur interrupted. "I don't yet know how to give you magic to heal, but you can heal by taking my memories, and the best part is that it doesn't damage me."

Ahri didn't move.

"Ahri, please." Kaldur pleaded. "I know you don't want to do this, but I am the only one who is immune. Grend doesn't know you can do this, so it will look different to him. Please, just try."

Ahri looked into his eyes for a moment, each of hers glowing a brilliant yellow before she nodded in acceptance. Leaning in closer to him, her eyes changed to a brighter pink before the bliss hit him. It was just as he remembered it: amazing happiness where all his worries and doubts disappeared. The bliss lasted for only a short moment, and went just as fast as it came. When it was done, Kaldur was looking at a livelier Ahri; all her marks removed.

"Feeling better?" Kaldur asked.

"Much." Ahri replied. "Though, I have one question: what is a waifu?"

Kaldur choked, realizing that she got that term from his memories. "I don't quite remember." He lied.

A smug look came over Ahri's face, but she shrugged and dropped the topic, much to Kaldur's relief.

Standing up and turning towards Grend, Kaldur called out. "Will that do for you?" He asked.

Grend raised an eyebrow. "I didn't see anything." Turning his head towards Ahri, he watched her stand up and brush off the dust from her knees before he remarked again. "But, it does look as though something happened."

With a small smile on his face, Grend clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Now, let's try something else."

Kaldur rolled his eyes and looked to the ceiling, there was just no stopping with this man.

For the last week, Ahri and Kaldur began to build upon their teamwork, allowing for each other to fight off the other ones weaknesses. Despite Ahri's weakness to petricite, there was only one other instance where she allowed herself to indulge on Kaldur's memories, and she refused to do it again until the day of the viewing. As for Kaldur's escape, it came as little surprise to him that the day they were supposed to fight would be the day they left this island. Not wanting to cause more trouble for Grend than he had to, Kaldur made the decision that when they were given to whomever their next captor would be would be the time to strike. Ahri, not seeing a better alternative, had agreed with this plan, and both began to make the preparations that they could in the time allotted.

Unlike the previous weeks, Grend had finally set a room for each of the prisoners to have in the red hallway which lay outside the furnished room, which had been their abode until recently. Each room contained a bed, a dresser and red lanterns which hung from the ceiling. Many were decorated in satins and silks that covered the walls, while golden paints flowed in intricate patterns on the wood furnishings. The bed itself was draped with see-through purple silk that covered the bed like a sheet, and surrounded it like walls. Two prisoners each were paired into a room, and new clothes were given to them to replace the ones that were ragged and torn from use. While the chains remained on, each slave was cleaned and fed a decent meal as they each prepared for their new future.

At first Kaldur wondered who would get the individual room, as he assumed they would give Ahri her own room, but when himself and her were locked in the same room, he found that sleeping on the floor was going to be his lot for the next week. While Ahri asked for her clothing to be washed and brought back to her, since it contained some odd durability which was far too great for normal clothing, Kaldur was given a new set of clothes which was a mixture of his, Ionian, and Bilgewater clothes.

Instead of his usual t-shit, jeans, and shoes; Kaldur was given his own grey and blue t-shirt to wear underneath and Ionian tunic with an attached hood of silver, blue and a cream color he didn't recognize. The pants he wore were definitely Bilgewater made as they seemed an odd form of wool mixed with patches of fish skin which lay on his exposed leg areas. He still wore his own tennis-shoes over some rags for socks, but they were still were the most comfortable piece he had on.

"The viewing will be three days of different tasks." Grend explained one night. "The first day you two will not be going anywhere. This is where those that are good with magic that can be used on ships will be tested to see what they can do. Most magicians aren't bought on the first day, as most people want to see what else they can do before making a decision. Some are, however, and as a result are bought that day; unless I have a bidding war on my hands and am forced to show more by those who will pay more."

"The second day is where you two will make your debut." He continued. "Here you will fight a series of people that are strong, and by winning and showing the audience what you can do will increase your value. These fights you will do alone."

"What about the third day?" Kaldur asked.

"The last day is where you will fight as a pair. Most magicians don't get this chance as people will have bought them by the end of the second day for their individual talents."

"Wait, then what normally happens on the third day?"

"Normally, this is where those who haven't been selected will try to prove themselves in an even stronger fight, or they die in the ring. Most people come to this one for entertainment, not for the goods."

Kaldur was about to interject when Grend raised his hand. "You two have been advertised as a package deal. Since most people will want to view you as a pair before they make their final decision, I am likely not going to sell anyone on the first or second day, but…" A creepy grin appeared on his face. "When you two are sold, there will be many who will pay handsomely for you, and since only one will get you two, the rest of the customers who couldn't acquire the merchandise they desired will pay even higher for the second best. I will have sold all the slaves I have for a higher price."

With the dates set, Kaldur and Ahri were given a break for the first day of the viewing. Allowed to wander the building under watch of Derk and his crew, Kaldur took his time to find anything he could about Bilgewater and relax. With very little to do under the eyes of his captors, Kaldur decided that after a quick look around he would call it early. Collapsing on his spot on the floor, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"Kaldur. It's time."

Kaldur opened his eyes and was greeted by the face of Ahri. Shaking his head from the grogginess of the night's sleep, he stood up and walked out with her to where he saw all of the shipmates he had sailed with still present and accounted for.

"Nobody sold yesterday." Grend called out as he walked through the congregation of slaves to where Kaldur and Ahri stood. "Just as I predicted."

"To the boats?" Kaldur asked, stretching.

"To the boats." Grend acknowledged, grinning.

Leaving the brothel behind, Kaldur and the rest of the magicians were loaded into a series of small longboat and sailed in a single file line through the narrow water ways of the lower city. Upon arriving at the tunnels, each boat made its way through the waterways till they arrived at the same domed area where they had trained these past few weeks.

Upon removing himself from the boat, Kaldur turned to Grend. "So why are we here this early?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice the tide?"

"You mean the fact that the water rose to fill the gap your boats are currently in, no I didn't notice." Kaldur remarked sarcastically.

"Watch your tone here boy, normally I allow that but here I need you to act as if I treat you differently. You are right, though. We have until the tide comes in to prepare the stage, when that happens, the customers will come to fill the balconies."

"What do we do in the meantime?"

"Well, for starters, it's time to meet your competition."

Walking up the stairs to the round platform, Kaldur was greeted by the sight of two other groups of slaves, and Bildgewater members that surrounded them.

"Runnin' late as usual eh Grend?" Came a voice from across the way.

Grend raised his hands in the air in welcome. "Just admirin' my goods Jerreff."

The man who came to greet Grend came from the second group. Dressed in fish leather from neck to toe, the man was just as tall as Grend and just as built, but he didn't have the flowing locks or the impressive beard. Instead he had a bald head, a clean shaven face, and a large scar that ran through the top of his head from ear to ear. Kaldur thought about a comment on how all Bildgewater residents had scars as identification marks but thought better of it.

Grasping Grend in a hug, the man turned to look at the slaves just behind him. "Ha! You must be slipin' old man. You call that good wares? Their all skin and bone!"

Grend kept his smile. "You weren't there yesterday, mate. Most are sailors by trade, and many more have tricks up their sleeves."

Jerreff scoffed. "They may be useful to a normal sailor, but we sellin' to the gangs. Can't have a weakling on their crew."

Grend slapped Jerreff on the back laughing. "Hey, as long as that murdering bastard's no longer here these will do."

As if the room got ten degrees colder, Jerreff's face and voice mimicked it. "I know your reelin' to be free from him Grend, but don't dismiss them rumors just yet. Some people have seen him, and he got an arm of steel now, enough strength to take back what he wants."

Grend laughed once more, returning a little light to the chamber. "Jerreff, I don't put much stock in rumors. That bounty hunter put him to the depths, and now those of us who had some sense left when we could."

Jerreff made a halfhearted smile and turned around towards his men, stopping before he walked over. "I do hope your right, but if yur' not, I fear what he does to men that were once as devoted to him as one could get."

Grend's smile didn't vanish, but his eyes seemed to mimic the cold around him. "Was never loyal to him, it was just a means to an end."

With that, Jerreff marched over to his men and slaves and began to prepare. Grend turned and greeted the leader of the other group as well, but it was too far away for Kaldur to get a decent view of the man, and he couldn't hear the conversation. After a bit of hand shaking, Grend walked back over to his men and slaves before given them the summary of events.

"This event is tournament based, you win the fight you move up to the next one until you are the last one standing. You will not fight each other, and there can be ten winners if you all win. One group fights half of Jerreff's ravel, the other fight's Halvent's half while those two have their own half that fight's each other. The more you win, or impress, the more you are worth. If one of us wins but four of Jerreff's win, that one winner will have to fight all four of them till he drops or wins."

"Since I have the lowest amount of you," Grend continued "they have brought enough to match my amount, which means these are their best ones. Don't hold back."

"Is this to the death?" Kaldur asked.

"That, or until the other person can't fight. Just be warned, if someone dies that means there are less slaves to buy which means values go up as well. Unless one of us prevents the opponent from killing you when you are unconscious, your opponent will be trying to kill you."

Silence marked the remaining prisoners, and when Grend was satisfied the message sank in, he continued. "Take a seat on the benches here, I will get you some food, you have a couple hours before it begins."

Kaldur, Ahri, and the rest of the crew sat down on the benches. As the time ticked by, the hushed whispers of slaves on all sides seemed to fill the room. Some were just like Kaldur had imagined them to be, and yet most looked to be rugged warriors from other lands. A few of the members Kaldur recognized as Ionian in appearance and dress, though some were from places Kaldur had not yet seen before. On Jerreff's side, most of his men were people who looked to have seen combat. Some were dressed in armor, while others were based in simple garb. Halvent's side housed the other Ionian population in the chamber, and while most of them looked like simple town's folk, some looked like warriors that Kaldur had seen watching some of the larger villages.

It came by slowly, but soon various members trickled on to the balconies above them, and as the crowd grew, so did the volume of voices.

"Welcome!" Came a booming voice from the center of the circle. Kaldur turned his head to find the source as the room became quieter, and noticed that it came from a small man about a few inches shorter than Ahri. While his stature was indeed short, there was no shortage of Bilgewater attire and toughness attributed to the man. Dressed in armor made of fish scales, holding a large spear thrower, and with a tan that could make sorority girls jealous, the man's voiced bellowed through the dome.

"Today we have a special presentation for you! Three crews have come here tonight to show off their wonderous merchandise caught from the far edges of the waters. With blood, violence, and magic, you will be entertained beyond measure. Watch, wonder, and, hopefully, buy, this amazing season's catch. Let the games begin!"

The crowd cheered at the speech, and as the man wandered away from the cage in the center, the first pair of contestants were brought up. One man hailed from Jerreff's line up while the other from Halvent's.

"Our first batch starts with Jerreff versus Halvent." Cried the announcer. "The first ware on Jerreff's side is a Noxian born and raised as a warrior. With brutal combat ability, he is a man of good health, and can easily be used for any work."

The man, clearly irritated by his situation, marched through the entrance to the cage, and waited for his chains to be removed from himself before he entered the center.

"On Halvent's side, we have an Ionian warrior caught on the tides. With impeccable health, this one is guaranteed to work constantly without wear and tear."

Kaldur gritted his teeth as he watched the young Ionian walk into the caged dome with the Noxian. By being around Grend, Kaldur was unable to see how slaves were actually treated here, but now that he had it made him furious.

As if on cue, Kaldur felt two hands rest on him to calm him down. One was Ahri who had placed her hand on his bicep, and the other was Grend who was standing behind him and rested his hand on his shoulder.

"I know." Grend whispered. "I have prevented this from reaching you and the rest, now pay me back by doing well here."

Kaldur didn't turn around, but instead subtly nodded in understanding. Returning his attention to the center ring, Kaldur watched as the Noxian and the Ionian circled each other for a while as the announcer droned on.

"Each will be given a weapon of their choosing."

With a small wave of hands, two weapons were poked through the cage holes, one a spear for the Ionian, the other was a spiked sword for the Noxian. As soon as the weapons were within the hands of their users, each took a stance.

"FIGHT!" Shouted the announcer.

The Ionian dived in first, closing the distance just enough to strike at the Noxian with his spear. Taking a step forward, the spearhead thrust multiple times towards the Noxian's chest, but each were blocked by the blade of the sword or sidestepped. Even though his strikes made no contact, the Ionian kept his barrage of blows and slashes all the while keeping the Noxian out of retaliation distance.

With strike after strike, it looked as if this was a one sided fight, but despite all that, the Noxian was avoiding the strikes with ease and kept his calm throughout the fight. It was only a few minutes, but the Noxian kept his back to the cage the entire time and kept circling it as he dodged the Ionian. There were a few instances where the Ionian got a little too close to the Noxian, and as such the sword came out without a moment's hesitation, but just as he was quick with his strikes, the Ionian was quick to avoid them.

Kaldur focused on the Ionian for a bit, but as he saw the exhaustion bear down on his face, it became quite apparent that the Noxian knew what he was doing; and right when his suspicions came to light, they were also confirmed. In an instant, the Noxian took one of the spear jabs into the shoulder pad of his armor and held it there with his left hand. Bringing his sword up, the Noxian sliced straight downward into the Ionian where his face was struck with utter shock. With a stream of blood, the Ionian fell to the floor dead, the sword embedded in his head.

A cry erupted from the crowd with the victory, and while the Noxian was showed with cheers, he seemed to not pay attention as he retrieved his sword from the Ionians head, a bloodlust smile across his face.

"Jerreff has the first victory of the night!" Called the announcer. "And a swift one at that."

The crowd cheered on.

"Now, Halvent has a chance to redeem himself once more against a regular you all know so well. Grend, present your merchandise."

Grend removed himself from behind his line of slaves, and summoned the first Ionian on the far end up to the cage.

"On Grends side, we have an Ionian sailor adept at magic. While he is not the best specimen we have seen, a magician is a magician. On Halvent's side we see another fighter, but this time he is from the dessert lands of Shurima."

Kaldur turned his attention to the Shuriman who was already entering the ring, and came to view a man who was easily a blend of an African with the facial structure of an Arabic native. He wore lose baggy clothing, and some odd turban on the top of his head, but sported a knife as it came through the bars. Even though he was the only Shuriman around, the man was as calm as can be. The Ionian sailor, however, was far from calm, and kept shaking as they took the chains off him.

With no weapon, the Ionian and the Shuriman squared off with each other.

"FIGHT!" The announcer shouted.

The fight was over in a blink. The Ionian, despite all his fear, attempted to chant as fast as he could, building up magic in the arena, but just as he made it to the first phrase, a knife spin into the man's chest piercing his heart. The Ionian sailor fell to the floor, like the other man had before; and once again there was a loud cheer from the crowd.

"The fight is over, and was that a quick one." The announcer concluded.

Kaldur closed his mouth shut the moment he realized it was open. Either way, he was going to have to face one of these men. Whichever one he faced spelled a hard fight, and a possibility of losing.

"The first two fights have been resolved! Will the third one spark a winner for our dear Grend? Grend, Jerreff, bring out your next contestants."

Grend paused for a moment, and looked at the members of his trade. "Kaldur, you're up."

Kaldur's knees almost buckled as he stood up, he was first to bat against Jerreff's team. Shaking his head awake, Kaldur walked with Grend to the cage where the man began to break it down for him.

"Remember, since you are against Jerreff he has already used his most powerful member so you won't have to worry about him just yet. Ahri will take care of Halvent's men so don't worry."

"Got it." Kaldur acknowledged.

Stepping into the cage, Grend removed his shackles, and he made his way to the center of the ring, rubbing his wrists.

"The young boy you see before you is another warrior, but is also a user of magic. He hails from Ionia but is of Noxian blood. Clearly healthy, this young one is sure to bring some skills to the table."

Kaldur shook his head at the comment, quite sure that Grend had told him what to say. Turning around, Kaldur was surprised to see that his opponent to enter the cage was the only Ionian on Jerreff's side. Skinny, but well-muscled, the Ionian looked as young as he was, but his light blue skin and brown beard could almost take that age away.

"The next contestant in Jerreff's lot is a magician from the Ionian coasts. Scrawny as he is smart, this man is of high intelligence, and will grant anyone of purchase a useful prize."

Kaldur and his opponent observed each other for a moment before a man on his side came up to the cage. "Hey kid, do you want a weapon?"

Kaldur shook his head. "No thanks. Don't need one."

The man shrugged. "Alright then."

Kaldur readied himself as best he could. Centering himself and entering a stance, Kaldur breathed and focused his mind. He wasn't going to use magic this round, if he did he would risk letting his future opponents learn what he was capable of, assuming he won here.

"FIGHT!"

Kaldur dashed forward and closed the gap between him and his opponent as best he could before striking. Raising his arms, Kaldur aimed a punch at the mans exposed ribs, and struck with more power than he was intending. The surprised Ionian, who was building up power before he launched it, flew away from Kaldur as he clutched his injured side. Taking advantage of the surprise, Kaldur swept up behind the man and grabbed him in a choke hold in which he locked.

The Ionian first had no idea what was happening, but the moment it dawned on him it was too late to do anything, as he began to lose consciousness. Kaldur waited for a moment, hold intact, until he felt his opponent go limp. Releasing the man from his grip, Kaldur let him down slowly to the floor before walking to the center of the ring.

"The fight is done, and with no death either! The winner is Grend!"

Kaldur walked over to the entrance to the cage and waited for the chains to be put around him once more.

"You did good kid." Whispered Grend.

"Thanks, I just hope my team does as well."

Taking a seat on the benches, Kaldur looked to Ahri who was aiming one of her small smiles at him. Returning one to her, Kaldur's gaze came back to the arena where he waited the next fight.

Since Kaldur was the first to fight in his group, he was going to have to wait a long time before the rest of the fights came around. The next few fights went with much more flash than the first three had, as many of the contestants were magic users. The rematch between Halvent and Jerreff was very anti-climactic since Jerreff's man was ten times stronger than his opponent and thus crushed him with a hammer with the first blow. The second round with Ahri's crew went far better than the last as both were magic users, her's being far more adept than the older gentleman who was there.

When it came around to Kaldur's group, he was surprised to see another large Noxian in armor arrive on the scene who was facing his Ionian sailor. Instead of a sword, the man wielded and axe nearly his size; and while Kaldur was hoping that his man had a trick up his sleeve, instead he watched as his teammate was cut in two pieces.

As round two ended, Kaldur watched as the third round came around in Jerreffs favor; him winning two fights and Grend winning the third. The fourth series, was where the odds changed a little. The first round was between a thin Ionian from Halvents side who used two knives, and a larger man from a country area called the serpentine delta. While Kaldur had no idea where that was, he was quite sure that this man was used to living outdoors as he was dressed in an outfit one would usually find in a jungle. The battle itself was longer than most as the larger man with the spear kept trying to keep away the man with the knives, but just as the spear was pushed too far forward, the man with knives threw one into his opponent's chest and sliced his throat once he closed the distance.

The second fight drew to a close as quick as it started since the man on Ahri's team summoned the quickest wind magic he had ever seen and threw his opponent into the bars hard enough to split the enemy's skull. When Kaldur's team came up to the plate once more, it was quite the disappointment as he watched the sailor he had worked with be cut apart by a man with another serrated blade. In his mind, this was not a contest, it was a slaughter.

Before the fifth round began, Kaldur took a deep breath and kept his gaze away from the first fight as he waited to hear the result. It was little surprise to him that Jerreff became victorious, but what that truly meant was that there would only be one man on Halvent's team that could fight Jerreff, and he had to fight four men.

"Alright you brigands! This is the person you have been waiting for the entire night. A Vastayan hailing from Ionia, and a fox one at that, with magic running through her veins. This young woman is bound to help with all your needs, no matter _what_ they are."

Kaldur looked up just in time to see Ahri stride to the entrance to the cage. Having her shackles removed, she wandered into the cage as the crowd went wild; some cheering in excitement while others leered at her with perverse eyes.

"And who shall be the opponent of this beautiful piece? A man of extraordinary strength and skill, it took over twenty men to actually bring him down and when they finally did he was still alive."

Behind the guards who were standing in the rear of Halvent's team rose a man of nearly eight feet. Built like a bear, and with hands the size of frying pans, the ground boomed with every step he took. Tan skin, black long hair, and no shirt, he was quite the specimen to look at. It took him a bit to enter the cage doorway, but once he did it became quite apparent how much larger he was to Ahri.

"FIGHT!" called the announcer.

The shout was very sudden compared to the rest, but Kaldur reasoned that it was because neither person wished for a weapon.

"Come here!" shouted the large man, his voice rocking the cage as he ran for Ahri.

Ahri didn't move.

Raising her hand to her side with her palm facing upward, a large blue and green orb floated just above it, about the size of a basketball. Thrusting her hand forward, the ball was sent hurling towards the big man. With a loud electrical sound, the ball went straight through the man causing him to stop mid stride. At first it looked like nothing had happened, but as soon as that thought struck Kaldurs mind, the large man screamed in pain and tried to charge Ahri again.

With a flick of her wrist, the ball came hurling itself back towards Ahri, and right through the man once more, but this time there was a large gaping hole in his chest. With the magic orb safely in Ahri's palm, she waved her hand and it disappeared just as the large man crashed to the floor.

"That was a show people! The winner is Grend!" The announcer erupted, just as the crowd did the same.

Kaldur smiled as Ahri walked back to the bench and sat down next to him, smiling back she nodded towards the last fight of the initial rounds and both of them turned to watch as the last Ionian sailor walked into the ring, where the guards were having trouble dragging the large body out of the cage. The final fight was a bit of a relief for Kaldur, as the young sailor won against another magician of unknown origin far better spellcasting than his opponent.

"Alright, that ends our fist fights of the night. We shall take a small breather as the ring is cleared of all debris before the next fight starts."

Walking around Grends area, Kaldur waited for the next fights as he watched some Bilgewater magicians clear the center of cage. So focused on the fights, Kaldur barely noticed how much blood and gore had accumulated in the center; it was enough to make him barf. With some magic, and a few brushes, the remains of the dead slaves were tossed into the water that had now risen, once more, to the tip of the circle platform.

"Alright, Alright, settle down, we are restarting the fights!" Called the announcer, letting the crowd settle down to a dull simmer of whispers.

"Here we have the only surviving member of the Halvent versus Jerreff fight, a man who must fight through four more champions if he must win this for his owner. Will he be able to do that against the man of Noxus?"

The large Noxian stood up and entered the ring, the large sword lounging on his shoulder as he paced the cage walls. The younger warrior on Halvert's side entered right after him; and sporting his two knives the man seemed quite confident.

"Are you ready? FIGHT!"

The Ionian darted towards the Noxian with a mass of speed, trying to close the distance. Seeing what he was up to, the Noxian raised his sword point, both hands grasping the hilt as he thrust towards the running man. The Ionian ducked under the blade and tried to slice at the Noxians legs but each was deflected by the armor. The Noxian, noticing the movement, slashed at him a few times while he had his back turned. Caught in the edge of the cage, the Ionian jumped and pushed off the wall over the swinging blade till he was far enough away; but just as he thought he was away from the man, the Noxian swept close enough to continue his barrage of strokes. Doing everything he could to stay away from the raging man, the Ionian kept striking at the chinks in the Noxians armor.

It wasn't long before the Noxian caught on, yet it was all he could do to stop the Ionian from hitting his vital points the moment he passed his guard. Taking a knee as the Ionian dashed away, the Noxian crouched lower. With a flip of his knives, the Ionian took advantage of the stationary target, and ran up behind the crouched man.

The Noxian smiled.

Rotating his sword to face backwards, the Noxian stabbed through the gap under his armpit at the Ionian, striking the young man in the stomach. There was a small pause in the commotion as the Ionian realized what happened. Dropping his knives, he fell to the floor bleeding.

"The fight is over!" Yelled the announcer. "The fight between Halvent and Jerreff has been won and Jerreff is the victor!"

The crown cheered once more as the Noxian left the cage back to his companions; all the while Halvent's men came and grabbed the wounded Ionian in hopes to keep him alive.

"You have witnessed the end of one of three arena's tonight, will the second end in much the same way for Halvent, or will his remaining champion become victorious?"

Grend, who had been watching from the back the entire time, crept up to Ahri. "You're up. Put him in the dust."

Ahri made one of her usual smiles. "I plan to."

Entering the cage with shackles removed, Ahri spun to observe her target: the Shuriman. The man did not bat an eye at her presence whatsoever, and instead radiated a calm that chilled the arena around it. Kaldur watched as the man slowly crept along the walls of the cage, and as he did so it became all too clear that this man was a professional. The only question that came to Kaldurs mind was how this man was caught in the first place.

"The pretty Vastayan has graced us with her presence once more! Will she be the victor of tonight's match, or will it be the assassin of the sands? Ready? FIGHT!"

Ahri didn't move like before, and instead waited for her target to come to her; only, this time, he didn't. Instead of rushing up to her, the assassin stood where he was, watching her. At first it looked like the two were having a starring contest, but the moment Kaldur blinked the Shuriman was already next to Ahri and aiming for her neck.

Diving away from her enemy, Ahri suffered only a minor scratch on the cheek as she summoned her orb once more. Stopping her motion, she was just about to throw it when the assassin closed the distance again; but this time Kaldur saw it: the man faded into the shadow in an instant almost as if he teleported.

Her eyes wide, Ahri ducked the knife strike and threw the orb at the man's chest, but just as it looked like it would hit him at that distance, the man shrank through the shadows and appeared behind her. Using the pull of the orb, Ahri shot away from the man and snapped her fingers, summoning three blue fox fires around her. Turning around, Ahri came into full view of nothing, the man was not in front of her; but she didn't need to see him. As if on their own, her fox fires flew to a target behind her and struck the Shuriman.

Grunting in pain, the man staggered back away from Ahri enough for her to turn around and see him. In an instant, the Shuriman stopped his cries, and instead focused on Ahri as if he were entranced by her. Building up her orb once more, Ahri looked straight into the man's eyes.

"You're mine." She said, almost playfully.

With a quick snap the Orb shot forward, and then backward, through the mans' stomach, leaving another hole. Ahri turned around and walked away from the man, leaving his body to fall to the floor.

"And another impressive display by Grend. The contest between Grend and Halvent is over! Grend is the winner!"

Ahri walked through the cage door, shackles attached, as the crown went wild for her. Sitting next to Kaldur, she refused to look up, and instead kept her gaze focused on the ground. Reaching over, Kaldur put his hand on her arm without looking at her, trying to give what little comfort he could.

"The last series of fights are now here everyone! The last battle between Grend and Jerreff is between two Champions of Grends' and three of Jerreff's. First up, we have the young Noxian magician versus the soldier on the Valoran coast."

Kaldur stood up and walked into the cage once more, rubbing his wrists once the chains were removed. Kaldur had barely watched the fight where this man had won, but he did remember that this man used a spear and was quite good with it. As the older gentleman, one who was old enough to be his father, walked into the cage Kaldur recognized the fear in the man's eyes.

"FIGHT!" cried the announcer.

It was so sudden that Kaldur hadn't had time to ready himself. Dodging the incoming spear strike, Kaldur swept around his opponent and refocused his mind on his target. As the man spun around to try and swing the spear at Kaldur, Kaldur reacted by catching the shaft of it and driving a punch into the man's gut; sending him to the floor.

The man cringed his stomach as he tried to breath and cried in pain and curled up into the fetal position. Kaldur picked up the man's spear, and pointed it at his neck, all the while looking at the announcer.

"Well look at this, the young Noxian has stopped the man without even having to draw any blood. It looks like this fight is over!"

The crowd was a mixture of boos and cheers as Kaldur walked out of the cage.

"Those are the rules people! Once a fighter has been downed and can no longer fight, they lose!"

The crowd continued its odd charade of chants while Kaldur sat back down at the bench, but soon they died back down the moment the next contestants came into view. From what Kaldur saw, it was the Noxian warrior with the battle axe and the only remaining teammate he had that cast magic.

Watching the two step into the ring, Kaldur was hoping that his man would actually win this fight and survive, but that hope felt misplaced as the announcer called the fight to start. It was over in an instant, the moment the Ionian began to cast his magic, a large battle axe flew into his chest at high speed, sending him into the dome cage walls with a ring.

Kaldur turned over Grend, who was seething silently the entire time. "Grend, this is a slaughter, those guys don't know combat magic, and the ones they can use take forever to cast."

"I know." He whispered back. "I was hoping they would be selected yesterday, but the clients wanted blood."

"Can you stop it?" Kaldur asked.

Grend shook his head. "I don't make the rules. Just be grateful it's almost over."

Kaldur sighed and turned back to the ring, he had to fight the remaining three members of Jerreff's team … and win.

"This is a spectacular turn of events people!" Cried the announcer. "The young Noxian is the only one left for Grend in the battle between him and Jerreff, will this young man be able to take on the remaining two champions?"

Standing up, Kaldur marched over to the chamber. It didn't seem like much, but Kaldur felt a weight upon his shoulders that wouldn't leave when the chains were removed from his person. Straightening up as much as he could, Kaldur stood in the center of the ring and watched as he realized he was the last contestant here.

Turning around, Kaldur saw his first opponent walk into the cage door. The man had a very similar stature to Kaldur, but instead of a young face the man was scarred beyond belief. With a devilish grin riding across his face, Kaldur's opponent reached through the cage walls and grabbed the serrated dagger held out to him. As he pulled it into the cage, the man's grin widened and he began to lick the tip of the blade, cutting it with the sharp edge.

The man was psychotic.

"Oh, boy." Kaldur mumbled, readying his stance.

"Will the young Noxian be able to hold his own against this fearsome man before him?" Came the voice of the announcer. "FIGHT!"

Kaldur kept his stance the moment the words reached his ears, as he waited, the man with the knife crept closer to him slowly.

"So young man, want to play a game?" called out his opponent.

Kaldur ignored him, and instead focused on his targets motions.

"I mean, this is a little …"

Kaldur dove forward and tackled the man to the ground mid-sentence, throwing the knife away. The man was weaker than Kaldur by far, and with his stature being the same size as the man in front of him, he had no problem with binding the man to the ground. With his knee upon his opponents back, and holding his arms behind his back, the man faced the ground in complete and utter shock.

"Let me go you little brat!"

Kaldur once again ignored him and turned towards the proctor.

"Uh, uh." The announcer began. "This time he has to be unable to move."

The crowd began to boo once more.

Kaldur made a sigh and channeled the power within him to his hand. Letting it flow out like a stream, Kaldur made a small blade appear on his knuckles while his hand still gripped the mans wrist. Making it longer, the blade sank into the mans' back. With a sharp cry of pain, the man tried to squirm, but soon stopped as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he lay on the floor, unconscious.

Kaldur stood up and moved to the other side of the cage. At first there was a low humming of whispers that filled the space, but as people began to realize what had occurred, the voices grew louder and began to cheer.

"Well that is more like it. Looks like this young Noxian has some more tricks up his sleeve than we realized."

As the guards came to retrieve the unconscious man, Kaldur oved over to them. "He is still alive, just unconscious."

The guards looked puzzled by what he said, then checked the mans' pulse. Nodding in understanding, they dragged him to Jerreff's area and set him down.

"And now, for the final fight of the night; and you're all still here! This young Noxian must fight someone of his own country, one that has tasted blood. Can he win, or will the Noxian paint the ring with his blood?"

The Noxian walked into the ring, eyeing Kaldur the entire time. Reaching out the door, a guard swung by and handed him a large battle axe, but this one looked a little different than the one that Kaldur had seen before. Instead of the usual rustic iron, Kaldur say small symbols and red hue line this one. Something was wrong.

As the door shut behind the Noxian, Kaldur saw that the man was grinning from ear to ear, much like his compatriot with the sword. Kaldur was about to enter his stance, but something about this man made Kaldur rethink his approach. Summoning his power, Kaldur created his sword and prepared to fight another way with something he never tried before.

Keeping his blade pointed at the ground and behind him, Kaldure leaned forward as if he were going to slice an uppercut.

"FIGHT!"

The Noxian bellowed and charged at Kaldur, his axe raised high in the sky. As the distance closed, Kaldur watched the axe fall to strike his face, and as it came so close that he could touch it with his head, Kaldur stepped forward and sliced at the man's midsection. At first, Kaldur thought that the blade had struck it's target, but looking down he noticed that the axe handle was blocking his path.

The Noxian was smiling.

Grabbing Kaldur by the collar, the Noxian thrust him away and into the cage walls. Kaldur struggled to land right, and when he finally came to his feet, the Noxian was already upon him, axe poised to strike. Letting the blade block the incoming blow, Kaldur slid the axe head to his side off the flattened blade. When the axe struck the wall, the metal buckled under the force, letting a few metal bars fly off into the distance. With a quick twist, Kaldur one again tried to swing at the man's midsection, but the Noxian saw it coming and pulled the axe too him, using the handle to block the blow.

Normally, Kaldur was used to the fact that most weapons and armor could not block his sword; they always passed right through unless Kaldur wanted it to by physical so he could stop incoming attacks, but this was different, the weapon was made of magic. Using his freedom of movement, Kaldur kept up his attack on the Noxian, making sure that the man had to use his only weapon for defense rather than to swing at him. At first, Kaldur would keep up his barrage, but in order to prevent himself from wearing out, he backed off a few times and used the distance to watch his opponent.

Taking a few steps to the right, Kaldur began to notice something as the man would take a swing: there was an opening that he couldn't use the axe to defend, but it would require Kaldur to let himself get caught unaware. Thinking back to his training, Kaldur almost smiled with amusement as he remembered that this was exactly like the fools' gambit that he had practiced with Riven some few months back. Taking a stance like he had earlier, Kaldur waited for the man to come closer and take his swing. The Noxian, in all his rage, ran straight at him and plummeted the axe headlong at Kaldur. Letting his guard seem down, the axe slightly changed its trajectory mid swing, but just as it did Kaldur raised his sword towards the man's left armpit and stabbed, dodging the swing in the process.

With a loud crash, and grunt that followed, the axe buried itself in the smooth stone ground. The Noxian was stunned. Kaldur quickly kept going with his sword, and sliced toward the mans' heart with virtually no resistance. The man plummeted to the ground with a loud thud, unconscious.

"The young man has done it!" Cried the announcer, the crowd wailed in applause. "Grend is the winner of this fight!"

Kaldur breathed a sigh of relief. Sitting down in the cage for a moment, it took him a bit to register how tired he actually was. Looking up he saw Ahri smiling back at him. Attempting to return the smile, Kaldur almost laughed as he saw Grend appear behind her with a hand clenched in a fist of approval.

Standing back up to remove himself from the cage, Kaldur came over to the entrance and waited as the shackles were once again put on him.

"The winners of this fight are Grend and Jerreff, with Grend at two wins and Jerreff at one. The three champions that fought will be …"

"Bang!"

The sound of gunfire interrupted the announcer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. As the people began to move and shift on the balconies, other shots were heard throughout the cavern, making the people scatter in all different directions. Initially, Kaldur wanted to know what was going on, but as he moved closer to the noise, the ground beneath him shook violently, and an explosion erupted on one of the balconies, causing it to rupture and fall apart.

All hell broke loose, men ran this way and that, breaking Kaldur away from Grend, Ahri, and the rest. As more gunfire and explosives filled the room, the room began to fall apart. Kaldur looked up to see that the cracks in the ceiling were getting larger, and as he watched them grow he came to one realization, this place was going to collapse. Frantically looking around the room, Kaldur attempted to find the stairs that would lead to the boats, but as he did he found that they were not their; the tide was high.

Trying to calm down and focus on getting out, Kaldur looked for Ahri. At first, with all the guards and other slaves that were running around trying to figure a way out he couldn't spot her, but the moment there was a clearing he noticed that she was with Grend, who was trying to remove her chains.

Running over to where she was, Kaldur began to call out when another explosion struck the area. He fell to the floor; Kaldur looked up to see people were wandering through the balcony entrances, and fighting the clients. Shaking his head, he got up and looked around for Ahri. When he spotted her again, this time her eyes were glowing a bright blue and all of her nine tails were showing. With a quick blink she dove to the edge of one of the balconies, as far away from the commotion as she could, and was holding Grend the entire time. Kaldur began to wave at her when another explosion, smaller than those before, made a sound behind him. Flinching, and turning around to see what it was, Kaldur was surprised to see a group of people coming out of where it came from. At first a few men wielding swords and spears came diving out at the crowd in droves, but near the end of the line came out a very odd looking woman.

Wielding twin pistols, and wearing a very large pirate hat atop her head, was a pale redheaded woman. She wore golden embroidered black leather pants and boots that seem to compliment one another, and a very small top of black and white that made it look like her chest was going to fall out of them. While the top exposed her stomach, shoulders, and back, the woman also wore two odd frilly sleeves that covered only her forearms and got wider as they progressed towards the hands. While it wasn't the weirdest site that Kaldur had seen, he was quite sure that she was the one behind the commotion that was occurring.

Returning his attention to Ahri, Kaldur raised his hands above his head and called out.

"Ahri!"

With her eyes still glowing blue, Ahri spotted him and began to make her way to him when the ground shook once more. With a loud crumble, Kaldur looked up as the ceiling began to fall away and a large set of petricite blocks the size of boulders fell to the platform. Diving out of the way, Kaldur landed on his chest away from the rubble.

"Kaldur!" someone called.

Turning his view around, Kaldur saw that Ahri was calling his name as gunfire surrounded her and Grend from people around the room. At first, he thought that she was going to dash to get him, but before she jumped, Grend grabbed her and pulled her down before a spray of bullets struck them.

Kaldur as quick as he could and moved for the balcony, but before he could take a step a sharp pain emerged from the back of his head and the world went black and quiet.


	11. Prisoners Dilemma

Chapter 10: Prisoners Dilemma

"She left you."

"No. She was under fire, she didn't have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice, Kaldur."

"Maybe, but I don't blame her for hers."

The empty voice of the abyss made a small sigh. "The world isn't that selfless."

"Maybe, but that is only your perspective." Kaldur replied. "Where are the other two anyway?"

"Preoccupied."

"Where am I?"

"Take a look." The voice almost sounded smug.

Just like waking up from a dream, Kaldur opened his eyes. Where he stood was warm and damp, almost like the walls contained their own moisture within. To his right was a large metallic torch that was connected to the wall which lit the room he resided. The entire chamber was made of stone bricks save for the wooden door which rested shut in front of him. The floor itself was covered in puddles of water, and it seemed that as the water built on the ceiling, it dripped water onto the ground. Taking a step forward, Kaldur reeled in shock as his movements were stopped by a small pain in his shoulders. Looking up, Kaldur noticed that both of his arms were shackled to the wall by chains imbedded high into the ceiling, keeping his arms high above his head; it was only a small miracle that his feet were able to stay firmly on the ground to hold up his weight. As he looked down, it also became apparent that he was stripped of most of his clothes save for the cloth he used as an undergarment.

"Awake, magician?"

The voice was cold and rough, like steel scrapping rock. Kaldur turned his attention to the voice which rested in the far-left corner of the room. Due to the shadows, and his splitting headache, Kaldur didn't notice the man leaning against the walls on a small stool. Wearing a V split shaped tricorne hat containing a read feathered plume, the man was easily as big as Grend, if not bigger. With a bare chest and right arm, the man was covered in simple tattoos of light blue swirls that danced across his skin. Over his shoulders laid fish leather straps connected to his left arm which was entirely mechanical and covered in heavy armor as if it were made of steam induced metal. Containing only three fingers and a thumb, the metal arm held an orange while the other arm expertly sliced the skin off with a ragged cutlass. On the man's right hip, he wore the biggest flintlock pistol Kaldur had ever seen, which connected to the drapery of dark black and blue pants. Around his middle was a red sash and a large copper medallion that represented a predator's head with teeth. Behind his pants the figure had what looked like the bottom half of a sailors coat of twin tails decorated in blue and dark gold furnishings. The last major aspect of the pirate's appearance was the giant grey grizzly beard which was tied by red band near the base.

Kaldur paused for a moment at the sight of the man, then began to chuckle.

"So, who does your outfit?" Kaldur quipped, trying to keep the nagging fear he had from reaching his voice.

The man didn't respond for a moment, continuing to peel the orange in his hand. "A sense of humor, that's nice."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "So, it's like that, huh? Alright then pirate man, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"Many know my name, the name of the king of Bilgewater; but for you, it will be a privilege earned."

Kaldur paused for a moment, wondering what this man had in store for him. Realizing that if he panicked, everything would be lost, Kaldur decided to make sure that he acted as much like himself as he could.

"Alright then, what do you want?" Kaldur began to charge his power within him, attempting to distract the man with conversation.

"Your power." Answered the man.

"And why would I give it to you?" At first, Kaldur felt his power build within his arms, but the moment it touched the shackles on his wrists, it dissipated.

"You misunderstand me, magician. I do not ask for anything, I take it. And I will have your power."

Taking a bite out of the freshly peeled orange, the man stood up, his hat brushing the top of the room. Taking a few steps forward to Kaldur, the man leaned forward till their faces almost touched. Kaldur could smell the reek of fish and rot intermixed with the smell of orange.

"Don't test me, boy. I will have your power, and I will have you give it to me willingly."

Leaning back and walking to the door, the man's metallic hand gripped the handle and tugged the screeching wood open.

"Those shackles will stop you from causing any problems; they are made of petricite. And when I am done with you, I will have my power, and take back what is mine."

The door slammed shut.

With the inconsistent drip of water on stone, Kaldur was left alone in the room, hanging from chains he couldn't break. Trying to think about what he could do to escape, Kaldur's mind drifted to Ahri and he began to wonder where she was. As if his thoughts swirled together all at once, Kaldur began to feel overwhelmed, and in that moment, he felt as if the world had just caved in on him.

"You are alone, Kaldur." Came the empty voice.

Kaldur refused to respond.

"You are alone, and powerless."

Taking a deep breath to clear whatever of his mind that he could, he focused on the image of the man from the void. In front of him, with a slight amount of intangibility, arrived the creature dressed in all purple satin, with the face like a ripple of water from a dark lake.

"Where are the others?" Asked Kaldur.

"Preoccupied."

"You said that already. Give me a specific answer." Kaldur began to seethe.

"Watch your temper, Kaldur. You are liable to lose control. But, to answer your question, they are busy keeping your mind safe."

"What does _that_ mean?"

The empty figure shrugged. "It means, what it means."

"That doesn't answer my question!" Kaldur yelled, feeling his rage rise.

"It was not meant to."

The image in front of him vanished, and as soon the feeling of nothing vanished, so did the air in the room. For a moment Kaldur had trouble breathing, but with time it came back, and he could feel his lungs once more. Kaldur wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he knew that whatever it was consisted of future pain. Leaning his back against the wall, Kaldur attempted to fall asleep.

It wasn't much of a rest for Kaldur as he awoke repeatedly. With his arms dangling high above him, Kaldur couldn't sleep with the pain, and whenever he dared to doze off he was greeted with a dull throbbing in his shoulders, and a sharp twist in his wrists.

For the next many hours this went on, till the opening of the door greeted him, and a face he had not wished to see came through. Without saying a word, the large pirate wandered into the room with a group of men following behind him, all hoisting a large cart with them.

"A gift, how thoughtful." Kaldur remarked.

Silent, the large pirate signaled for the men to remove themselves and close the door behind him. Reaching over to the cart, he removed the covering. Inside it was a large metal container filled with steaming heated rocks that glowed red like fire, enough to start one, and certainly enough to raise the temperature in the room.

Reaching his metal hand into the molten rocks, the man buried the three fingers into them for what seemed like a good long while before removing them. When the metal hand came up to the surface, it was glowing red hot.

"This will mark you as mine."

Kaldur swallowed, his fear rising.

The large pirate quickly swung around and grabbed Kaldur by the neck, pinning him to the wall. Kaldur began to struggle, but the more he did, the tighter was the grip on his neck. Taking his legs, Kaldur began to kick at the large man, but the moment he started, the pirate turned to his side as to prevent himself from being hit in any vital areas. With his molten left arm, the pirate plunged the palm onto Kaldurs right chest, searing the skin.

At first, Kaldur felt complete shock, then biting cold the longer the hand stood there; it was only a minute in when Kaldur actually felt the heat and the pain of being burned.

Screaming at the pain, Kaldur began to violently shake to remove himself from the larger man's grip, but to no success. The pain only lasted a minute, but in Kaldur's mind it felt like an eternity. After what seemed like forever, the large man removed his metal hand, and grip from Kaldur. Dropping to a dangle from the chains that held him upright, Kaldur shook as he struggled to look at the mark the man left on him. On his chest lay a burnt bloody handprint of only three fingers, and as the seared skin shriveled away, the thought that this was only the beginning crossed Kaldur's mind.

Closing the container and the cart itself, the large man turned to the door and opened it, pulling the cart with him.

"From now on," Began the pirate, stopping mid stride. "You will call me Master."

Kaldur faded out of consciousness.

Within his mind, Kaldur felt like time had passed infinitely. It was only after so long that he was greeted, once more, by the voice of the void.

"You could escape, if you used my power."

"Save it." Kaldur seethed. "This may hurt like nothing I have ever felt before, but I would rather be in control of myself, than be free in someone else's servitude."

"This man tries to do the same to you. He will break you."

Kaldur chuckled in his own mind. "You are a being of pure energy and you couldn't force your will on mine. He won't be able to do anything."

The void shook his head. "He will not force his will on you, he will make you wish you were his. He will take your own will and use it for his own gain."

"And that's different from you … how?"

"I offer power, the power to make your own wishes come true. He wishes for this power to be his."

"Still sounds the same to me." Kaldur scoffed.

The empty man shrugged once more. "That is your choice, but when the time comes, you will choose him. And I will be there to pick up what is broken."

Kaldur opened his eyes once more. The room was nearly pitch black as the torch had gone out. From what he could feel, the burn was still on his chest, and it was stinging as if salt were draped over it. Kaldur had no idea how long he had been out, but he felt like it was a long time. Struggling to stand, Kaldur's legs buckled beneath him and he fell once more, rattling the chains as his force pulled them.

Outside the chamber, footsteps echoed along the walls of his cell away from him. In his time here he hadn't been able to hear anything before, but now that he was alone in the dark, he could tell that the world outside of here was still busy. He knew he was still in Bilgewater, the self-proclaimed king wouldn't have left his area without a good cause, and he was sure he wasn't that important.

After a few hours lost in thought, Kaldur's stomach began to growl, eating itself. Shaking his head at the thought of food, Kaldur tried to concentrate on his magic. While it wasn't allowed to effect the area around him, nor enhance himself further, he knew that it could slowly heal himself over a long period of time if he could focus on it. It wouldn't be like his combat training with Lee Sin where he could heal small wounds after a sparring session, but it was better than nothing, and that was what Kaldur was counting on.

Within the flow of his magic, Kaldur again lost track of time. It was only when the door opened once more did he realize that he had gone through so many hours within the trance. Walking in through the door once more came the large pirate and the cart full of hot rocks. Shutting the door, lighting the torch, and striding up to the dangling prisoner, the pirate stopped and observed his earlier handiwork.

"So, you can still heal, even a little bit."

Kaldur's gaze followed to the mark on his chest. It was still mangled like it had been before, but it looked far more manageable and had stopped bleeding and cracking. Even though he could heal the wound, it was still going to leave a scar, something which bothered Kaldur at the thought.

Taking a bite into another citrus fruit that he had within his hand, the large man pressed the opening juices onto the open would of Kaldur's flesh, making him wince in pain. After the pirate removed it, he took another bite into the fruit and tossed it into the corner.

Uncovering the cart once more to reveal the hot stones, Kaldur jerked at the heat as it filled the room. Drawing his sword, the pirate dipped the tip into the stones for a good minute before removing it, revealing a red-hot tip.

"Now, you are going to tell me all you know about the Vastayan you were with."

Kaldur paused. "The who da what now?"

Reaching across, the large man pressed the hot tip of the sword into Kaldur's ribs. Screaming in pain, Kaldur tried to clench his teeth to resist it. After a minute, the sword was removed, and when Kaldur was given a small reprieve, the pirate asked once more.

"The Vastayan."

Kaldur was almost tempted to tell him, but inside he knew that this man was dangerous to Ahri. Closing his mouth, Kaldur looked up at the grey eyes of his torturer, defiance reigning supreme.

The large man smirked with a crocked curl on the end of his lip. "Thought you might."

Kaldur screamed again.

Many days went like this, enough that Kaldur lost count somewhere around ten. The large pirate would come into the room, bringing his tools for torture, and ask Kaldur a single question. Whether that question was about Ahri, his powers, or something else, changed day by day, but it was always one. Some days, Kaldur would try to rebuttal the question with clever quips. Others he would just remain quiet and stare the man in the eyes; yet he always managed to resist for the day. Using whatever magic he could muster, Kaldur tried to heal whatever wounds were inflicted. Some went away with no more than a scar to mark them, while others were far harder to remove.

Even though the large gang leader, as Kaldur had surmised, wanted to torture him into a stupor, he wasn't yet willing to have Kaldur die on him. During these moment, food and drink were brought to him, and instead a novice mage would sit quietly with him. The mage differed between a few men, but it was always the same thing: one would sit at the stool in the corner without talking, Kaldur would try to start a conversation to no avail, and the mage would leave after a couple hours, normally with a scowl on his face.

The only company he had during this time were the entities of the world rune within him. And while the young girl had yet to make an appearance, it was a good day when the barbarian would show instead of the void messenger.

"His name is Gangplank, if I can recall." Came the barbarian. "He used to run Bilgewater."

"How do you know this?" Kaldur asked, his breath taken away by the days torture.

"The man who put me here knew a few things."

"Well now I have a name. Why are you helping me anyway? Last time we met you tried to force your will on me with a raging voice."

The barbarian shrugged. "Been hanging with the kid too long."

Kaldur shook his head. "Well at least it's not mister 'I am the void'. Guy needs another hobby. Where have you been by the way?"

"Preventing those crackpot mages from entering your mind. We all do the same thing when your girlfriend tries to take your memories; only, she is a hundred times stronger."

"Wait… They have been trying to get in my head? But they have only been in the room the last few days."

"Maybe they think getting closer would give them a better chance. Though they stand no chance against me."

The image of the barbarian wandered over to the stool and sat down, it looked very real.

"For right now it's the void masters turn. While the rune itself may be all powerful, if you are weak than the amount that can be used is diminished."

Kaldur cocked his head to the side, looking at the image of the large man in the black armor. "You are a lot nicer than before."

The barbarian laughed. "Kaldur, we are images constructed by your subconscious. Our desires are still the same as they have ever been, you can't change our nature, but it doesn't mean that we can't attempt different methods to manipulate you."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "I take it the 'nice guy' act is a method?"

"Only partly. You still have no idea what we are, and are not, capable of. Keep that in mind."

Kaldur shook his head. "Whatever. For right now, I need to focus on getting out of here. Got any tips?"

The barbarian shrugged again. "That is up to you, I can give you knowledge and power, not ideas."

With that, the days continued as they always did; only the method of torture shifted day to day. Some were far more riveting as when Kaldur revealed that he knew Gangplanks name. During this excursion, Gangplank even humored the thought of removing Kaldur's tongue; but as it would prevent him from getting information, and with the fact that some magic is cast through chants, he dismissed it, saying there were other ways.

By the time Gangplank had run out of differing methods, Kaldur was at his limit. It became a struggle for him to even stay awake some days, and others were greeted by Gangplank finding every way to keep him alive while making sure he was destroyed. While his energy healed him at times, Gangplank ordered a few of his own mages to heal him, not enough to reverse the effects of the days torture, but enough to keep him conscious and alive.

It was a nightmare.

With weeks, or even longer, having gone by, Kaldur was weak beyond measure. His wrists were torn, rubbed raw by the petricite shackles that held him in place. His muscles had deteriorated, and whatever fat he had on him was now nonexistent. With scars lining his body from places where things didn't properly heal, Kaldur was done. At first, he thought his mind would hold him in place, that his will would keep him going. But with Gangplanks methods, and the voices in his head, every fiber of his being fought to seek an outlet.

"Do you want my power?" The void would ask. And every day, Kaldur would say no, just to be harassed a second time the same day.

He wanted out, he wanted to see Ahri, he wanted to go home; but the more he looked at the empty spaces of his prison, the more hopeless it became.

"Do you want my power?" The void asked, returning once more after Kaldur had woken.

"Where is the barbarian? I want to talk with him."

"He is busy defending your mind, which is becoming increasingly more difficult."

"Ha. Having trouble keeping it up?" Kaldur reacted without thinking.

Instead of a dismal sigh, and a sweeping response, the void's image moved closer to Kaldur, laying his nearly dead hand on his cheek. "You want out, don't you?"

Kaldur raised his eyebrow. The void knew this already, why he would be asking was a new one, but Kaldur felt too tired to think about it.

"Yes, I do."

"You want to see Ahri?"

"Yes."

"And you want to go home."

"Yes, I do."

Even though Kaldur could not tell what the empty figure was thinking, nor feeling, something in him made it seem like the void was smiling.

"Then take my power."

Kaldur hesitated, but his mind was too far muddled to react again. Instead, looking up at the void he cocked his head to the side, absorbing his eyes into its watery face like a mirror.

"I … I…" Kaldur began.

The door to his cell opened, spewing rays of torchlight into it and casting his mind from the vision of the empty creature within his mind. Once the void had retreated, Kaldur looked upon the face of Gangplank as he entered the room followed by two of his mages. As the large man walked into the center of the room, the mages began to heal Kaldur, chanting in a slow low hum that made very little sense to him. At first, he could feel nothing, but soon the euphoria of health began to overwhelm him.

"The Vastayan."

Kaldur looked back up at him. "I won't let you hurt her."

"I'm not going to hurt her." Gangplank said.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow, then looked around the room. There were no devices that he brought in with him, there was nothing; it was just him and the mages.

"What are you talking about?" Kaldur asked, murmuring his words.

"I want to help her, boy." Gangplank replied.

Kaldur's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. In his mind, this man was an enemy, but his words seemed to have a way of reaching him despite every other part of him telling him that something was wrong.

"She is a slave, to a woman. A bounty hunter called Miss Fortune."

Kaldur shook his head. "She wouldn't be a slave to anyone."

The first time in the entirety of Kaldur being here, he had never seen Gangplank kneel, yet here he was, kneeling in front of Kaldur. Placing his good hand on Kaldur's shoulder, Gangplank looked into his eyes.

"You can help save her. I just need your power."

Kaldur felt even more groggy than before, his mind was muddled and he didn't know why. He wanted to save Ahri, more than anything; but something was telling him that this was wrong.

"I… I can't trust you." Kaldur said, shaking his head.

Gangplank smiled. "You need not trust me boy, but you can trust this." Reaching into his pocket, Gangplank produced what looked to be a jewel in the form of a swirling half-moon.

It was Ahri's.

In an instant, Kaldur's mind left him, he looked at Gangplank and no longer saw his torturer, but a friend; a man who would help him save Ahri.

"I will do whatever you ask." Kaldur said, not sure where the words came from.

Standing up, Gangplank looked at Kaldur with a large grin. "We will, boy, we will. Now, who do you belong to?"

"I belong to you. I am your power; the power to save Ahri."

Gangplank beckoned the mages to stop their current task, removing the restraints placed on Kaldur. Dropping to the floor, Kaldur struck it hard, but in his mind, it was nothing compared to what he thought Ahri must be going through. Crawling on the floor, Kaldur aimed for the door.

"Ahri..."

Gangplank rested his metal hand on Kaldur, halting his advance.

"Soon son. Soon."

Feeling the relaxing cool of the metal hand, and how tired he was, Kaldur slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep on the floor. It was better than he ever imagined.

Opening his eyes once more, Kaldur came face to face with a clean room. Wooden furnishings lined the walls and corners while a window to the outside marked a smooth breeze though it. Sitting up, Kaldur looked around to see that this place was well decorated with trophies from the sea, and a bed for a king that he lay in, bedded with golden and blue patterns. At first, when Kaldur saw the window, his urges beckoned him to escape through it; but the longer he sat there, the longer he remembered that he no longer needed to escape, he was with his master.

Sliding out of the furnished coverings, Kaldur tried to stand up, buck naked in the cool breeze; but the moment his feet touched the floor, his legs shook with how week they were. Looking over to a small chair next to him sat a set of clothes. With a pair of dark leather boots, a blue fish skin pant, and a red sash for a belt, it was clear in Kaldur's mind why there would be no need for a shirt.

Reaching over, with a little effort, Kaldur slipped on the clothing and tried once more to stand up. At first his legs still refused to work, but the more he pushed, the farther he went, till he was leaning on the railing of his bed.

"Easy there, son." Came a ragged voice from the door.

Kaldur looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Gangplank standing in the doorway.

"Master."

Gangplank made a crooked smile, taking a few steps over to him the large pirate placed a welcoming hand onto his shoulder.

"The clothes fit nice."

Kaldur made a weary smile. "They are from you, Master. I could not refuse."

"Good, good. Now, son, there are a couple things I must tell you; but you need to rest first. After, we will work on getting that body back to normal."

Just like a flash of pain, Kaldur's mind went through all the things that had happened to him over the past many weeks. But instead of blaming the man who had caused it, all Kaldur could think of were the words his torturer had spoken to him the other day. He did not blame anyone else other than himself for the pain he endured. It was his fault for not telling Gangplank about Ahri, and it was his fault for not listening to his master.

"Yes, master."

Taking Gangplanks advice at hand, Kaldur returned to bed, and for the next couple of days he healed physically. It was only when Gangplank had decided he was ready did he leave the confines of his room, and when he did, he was greeted by nothing more than a sneering crowd of ruffians. From what he could gather, Kaldur was near the higher echelon of Bilgewater's city structure; and while he was not at the top, he was definitely high enough to see the entire Slaughter Docks which stored giant ships and massive beasts. Far above Butchers Bridge and the cove that lay beneath it, it was far more peaceful up here than Kaldur cared to mind.

While the companions of his master were less than hospitable, Kaldur barely focused on their actions, and instead followed Gangplanks instructions to continue his training as before, and keep his attention on trying to free Ahri. Kaldur never questioned anything that happened around him. While the actions of the crew that surrounded him were less than savory, Kaldur didn't care; and as it became a far more frequent occurrence, Kaldur found many ways to just avoid it.

The housing of his room was far more elaborate than his own simple abode. While it lay on the protruding edge of a rocky cliff face, one connected by wooden pillars to the city below, it was very large, enough to house all of the crew that lay within its ship wood walls. Aside from the simple hallways that carried with it the smell of smoke, tobacco, and fish, the internal structure was very much designed to house people in luxury. With a center area like a tavern, and rooms to hold dozens of people, this place was a haven for late night play. At first, Kaldur never left the side of his master, preferring to practice in his room or not at all whenever Gangplank was present. As the days stretched on, and Kaldur began to feel familiarity in his muscles again, Gangplank led Kaldur to a yard of reeds that blew in the wind on the top of one of the long clifftops. Out here Kaldur would practice, assuming he hadn't already, and whenever Gangplank would come to watch, he always brought along a challenge.

"Kaldur."

Kaldur stopped mid-swing and turned with a low bow to his master. The outside was calm tonight as he stood atop the cliff, watching the city and waves below with the stars shining above. As Kaldur lifted his head, he saw not only Gangplank, but another man with him, one that was just as built and with a far more menacing grin attached to his face. With dark skin and a shaved head, the huge man wore a bandana around his neck and a set of fish leather in straps to make his shirt and pants. It was here Kaldur noticed the large spear the man carried.

"Fight him." Gangplank ordered, gesturing to the smiling man.

Kaldur didn't hesitate.

Diving in to close the gap, Kaldur brought up his sword, energy flowing in its creation. With a quick underhanded swing, the sword slashed through the surprised man's chest and up to his face, stopping just short of the opponent's eyes. With a small twist, Kaldur pulled the sword out and turned around to face the open sky, leaving no mark on the man's body.

It took only a moment for the man to fall to the floor, unconscious as always. Gangplank didn't make a move as he watched the man fall to the floor. Turning to look at Kaldur, a small smirk passed over his face.

"I think it's time."

Taking Kaldur to the lower levels of the tavern, Gangplank introduced him to a group of people who lounged around near one of the smuggler entrances he had seen in passing. The room was littered with crates both open and sealed. Some, from what Kaldur could see, were filled with fruits of various assortments, while others contained weapons and barrels of gunpowder.

"Who's this scrawny bastard?" came a voice from on high.

Looking up, Kaldur could see that three members, each of varying shapes, were resting on top of the piles of crates, casting vicious glances at him. The first member was a hulking man, one who dwarfed Gangplank in comparison. Carrying a large hook shot on his back, the man was covered in black hair and straps of leather which covered his important sections. The second person was a woman who kept a crossbow as a weapon. With dark skin and frizzy orange hair, she was the only one tattooed from head to toe. Next to her, was a man absorbed in his own little device, one that looked like a staff but had an odd contraption, complete with glowing crystal, on top of it. Sporting a hood and a cloak of dark grey, the man was the hardest to see, but it was clear from his vacant expression that he was not one to boast his opinions. With brighter skin, brown hair, and eyes as grey as his cloak, the man had a small go-tee which looked stricken with the grey of is cloak. To Kaldur, the man reeked of depression.

"Your new crewmate." Gangplank answered.

The woman stood up atop the crates, searing with anger. "What, you think that now one of us is gone we need to be replaced?"

"Dian." Came the soft voice of the hooded man. "Captain's orders."

"I don't give a bearded lady, who's orders they are." Dian rebutted. "That scrawny piece of trash will never be one of us. I mean, he's not even a Jagged Hook!"

The large man jumped down from his perch on top of the crates and came over to Kaldur, looking him over.

"What you do to him capn'? Not that I be disagreein', but I can see what Dian be sayin'."

Gangplank didn't even look at the big man before he snapped his fingers together. "Just the leg, Kaldur."

Kaldur understood completely, and while the larger man was focused on Gangplank, Kaldur formed his sword, swung, and retreated before there was even a reaction. The larger man paused for a moment and then turned to look at Kaldur before he was falling on his rear.

"I can't feel ma leg!" The man screamed, clutching it.

It seemed like the room held its breath for a moment as Gangplank towered over the larger man.

"I think I made my point Hagrif. Dian, Mosh, down here, now."

Obeying, the other two members made their way to the front of their captain. Dian reached over and hoisted up Hagrif onto her shoulder so that he could stand on his good leg.

"It will wear off." Gangplank explained. "Now, Kaldur will be on your crew for as long as I allow it. I want you three to show him the ropes, get him used to what we do here. Kaldur?"

Kaldur turned his attention away from the three members to Gangplank. Taking his metal hand, Gangplank rested it on Kaldur's shoulder once more.

"I want you to do whatever they order. When you return, I want you to report everything that happened to me."

"Yes, master." Kaldur responded.

Mosh cocked his head to the side. "I haven't seen you do this to anyone in years."

"It was needed." Gangplank responded. "He was hard to break."

Removing his hand, Gangplank made a small gesture with it and the three members began dragging Kaldur with them through the door. The night air was warm, and while the stars shown bright in the sky, the sight of the small fires that lit the city of Bilgewater was still welcoming. Descending down the stone and wooden steps towards the busy walkways, the ragged crew wound its way through the people, all the while with Dian carrying Hagrif by her shoulders as he limped.

Glaring back at him, she made a small huffing sound when she noticed Kaldur looking back.

"This is your fault, y'know." She remarked.

Kaldur raised a small eyebrow at the look and then shook his head.

As the crew wandered the walkways, all the while hovering above the dreaded drop into the ocean, they finally greeted the entrance into a large tavern bustling with voices. Releasing Hagrif, Dian marched straight into the door covered by a rusty cloth, drawing her crossbow. Followed behind by Mosh and then Hagrif, Kaldur swept the cloth aside and stepped into the den. It was much like what he imagined a bar would be like at this time period, with tables of people playing games, and many sitting at the bar itself with people drinking and singing songs in a language he couldn't understand.

Standing next to Dian, he watched as she pointed to a group in the crowd.

"They are our targets. Stay here and make sure they don't leave the building."

Kaldur sat still and watched as the three crew members, Hagrif limping, marched towards the table. The targets were a few people of questionable character, each playing a version of liar's dice, but they all looked normal in comparison to his team of people. At first, the small band didn't notice that Mosh, Dian, and Hagrif surrounded their table, weapons ready; but the moment the first person looked up, he dove from the table, drawing a pistol.

Mosh was the first to react, slamming the butt of his hextech spear into the ground, which caused a small explosion of magical energy to circle him, striking the first man and two of his companions. In an instant, the three struck members froze in place, and only the last person was able to move. Taking advantage of his freedom, the man dove across the bar back, landing into the area with the bartender. Everyone in the room who didn't have a weapon panicked and ran screaming from the tavern. Chairs were flipped, and tables propped up as defensive structures, whenever people dashed in all different directions.

Those with weapons drew them, and as Kaldur noticed, some of them refused to shoot at his companions, instead choosing to either run in fear or aid by firing at those with weapons against Dian and the rest. Taking cover from the incoming fire, Dian fired multiple bolts, in rapid succession, into the wrists of the three stunned members of Mosh's doing; pinning them into the nearest hard surface. Hagrif, instead of taking cover, turned to face multiple people, and fired his large hook into the nearest person. The target that was struck flew multiple feet at the sheer force of the harpoon gun. Landing on the floor, the man had barely any time to register that he was a pin cushion before Hagrif grabbed the attached rope and begun to swing the hooked man into another three, knocking them all over.

Mosh stood still for the most part, only moving when a shot was about to come his way. Once it did, he raised his staff towards the attacking person and cast a small bolt of magical energy towards them, tossing them away.

Kaldur, while not the target of any person's arms, waited by the door, and kept an eye on the person who had dashed behind the bar table. At first, he thought the man was going to wait there till the commotion died down, but he wasn't surprised to be wrong when the man crawled his way towards the door after removing himself from his cover.

A few feet from the door, the young sailor stood up and dove for the door, trying to leave. The moment he closed the distance Kaldur, who had his arms crossed leaning against the doorframe, summoned his sword and caught the man in the chest much like running into a clothesline.

Gasping for breath, the young sailor looked up at Kaldur with wide eyes.

"You … Yo… you're … with … them!?"

The man was gasping between words, and while Kaldur felt a pang of pain for the man, it soon disappeared as the commotion came his way. Grabbing the man and hoisting him out of the way, Kaldur watched as Hagrif, still limping, shoved a group of three men out the door with a simple table. At first, Kaldur thought the men would come back in the moment the table was removed, but as he heard the falling screams of the men outside, he remembered that the door was facing a sheer drop if one took a step too far from the walkway.

Setting the table down, and watching the remaining opponents surrender, Hagrif directed his attention to Kaldur who was still carrying one of the targets.

"Guess them scars ain't for notin'." He remarked. "Dian, Kaldurs' got the last one!"

"Good. He can do his job." She snarked, placing a foot on the chest of the man pinned to the floor.

"Where are the good's Jerreff?" She asked.

Something in the back of Kaldur's mind found recognition in that name, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before.

"Don't know what yer talkin' about lady." The large man grunted.

"Well, if you won't tell us, I guess we are gonna have to show you what we mean."

Looking around the room, Dian's gaze fell upon Kaldur and a mischievous grin fell upon her face.

"Kaldur, bring that man over here."

With the young sailor propped over his shoulder, Kaldur moved to where the big man in leather lay. Putting the young sailor in a kneeling position before the big man, he looked at Dian to wait for his next orders.

"You!" exclaimed Jerreff.

Kaldur looked down to see that the big man's eyes were large with recognition, but still, Kaldur couldn't recall where he had seen the man before.

Dian stepped on Jerreff's wound, making the man grunt in pain.

"I didn't say you could talk. Now, where are the goods Jerreff? If I have to ask you again, Kaldur here is going to slice the pretty little throat of your crew mate."

"I … I don't know. After Miss Fortune broke the arena, most of my wares have gone missing as well." Jerreff was terrified, but still he looked to Kaldur.

"You won't kill him. You didn't kill in the arena."

Mosh shook his head. Dian catching the movement made another grin to the big man.

"Oh? So, you think this is the same man that refused to kill in that glory pit you call an arena? Ha! Look at the scars all over his body, old man. This isn't the same man you knew then, our captain got to him; and now, he belongs to us."

"Kaldur!" Yelled Dian, looking straight at Kaldur. "Slit his throat." She ordered.

Kaldur created his sword and placed it over the young man's throat, looking into his dark eyes.

"Don't!" Yelled Jerreff. "Don't kill ma boy! He's all I got left."

Kaldur stopped.

Dian looked at Kaldur, fuming. "Did I say you could stop? Kill him!"

Kaldur tried once more, manifesting the blade as physical as he could, enough to kill; but the moment he tried to slice, his hand wouldn't move.

"What are you doing!?" Shouted Dian.

"I can't." Kaldur apologized. "My body won't move."

Dain marched over, raising her fist to strike at Kaldur.

"Wait." Mosh called, halting Dian's blow. "This isn't something he can control, nor something you can fix. It has to do with who he was before our Captain had his way."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do with him!?"

"The Captain will deal with it. For now, he can still fight. Kill all those who he makes unconscious."

Dian made another huffed sound before she spun around, sticking a knife into the young sailors' throat. Kaldur backed away; at first, he felt horrified, but soon his mind disappeared again, and he felt nothing.

"NOOO!" screamed Jerreff. Reaching over, he tried to remove the bolt that held his arm to the floor.

"I wouldn't do that mate." Hagrif said, holding his harpoon to Jerreff's neck and stopping the man's actions.

"I'll ask you one last time Jerreff. Where is the cargo?"

Jerreff looked defiantly at Dian. "You're gettin' nothin' from me."

Taking his harpoon gun, Hagrif aimed at Jerreff's head and fired, impaling it.

"Anyone else want to test me tonight?" Dian said, looking at the remaining two figures pinned to the table.

Shaking their heads, Mosh moved over and began speaking, making sure to get the information needed. When all was said and done, the crew had managed to finish their mission, and with the goods in hand, they made their way back to the large tavern on the cliffside. After the crates were put away, Kaldur removed himself from the others in an attempt to find his master. After searching the place, he managed to find Gangplank in his study, sitting next to his fire and pouring over sea charts with many pins in designated areas.

"Come in, son." He said, removing himself from the chair and walking over to the door.

Kaldur stepped in and took a knee. "We succeeded in gathering the merchandise from Jerreff and his crew. He and his son were killed during interrogation."

"Good, good. You may take your leave tonight. Get some rest, I will need you at day break."

Kaldur hesitated for a moment. "Master?"

"Hmm?"

"I … I can't kill."

Gangplank paused for a moment, his back facing Kaulder. "Go, on."

"I can fight, making those I strike unconscious, but my body freezes the moment I intend to kill."

Gangplank made a strenuous sigh. "So, it didn't fully work."

"Master?" Kaldur asked expectantly.

"Nothing, boy. You may leave."

"But, master, how will I …"

"I said leave, or I will think of a punishment for you that you have not yet tasted."

Kaldur immediately left the room, constantly wondering what he had done wrong. Making his way to his chamber, he finally collapsed on the bed, distressed and tired from the day's exercises. At first, he felt his body begin to sink into the elaborate covers, but as it did he felt his breathing begin to shallow. Standing up, Kaldur moved to the window, breathing in the fresh air and looking upon the scenery.

His world and vision felt muddled, much like he wasn't where he was supposed to be. Yet gazing out onto the buildings below with their firelit lanterns, something was there that was clearer than anything he had seen before.

Ahri.

Standing near the corner of a low-lit house on the wooden walkway, was the nine tailed fox herself; and what was more, she was looking at him. Shaking his head, Kaldur looked back to see if he was dreaming. She was still there. Kaldur wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, to leave and meet her; but the words of his master kept forbidding him from going. She was a prisoner, Gangplank had said, she was a slave; she needed to be saved.

Watching her, Kaldur wanted to leave and tell his master, but he couldn't look away. As he watched he noticed that two men were wandering out of the door from the building in which she stood next to. She had seen it too, and with one last look into each other's eyes, Ahri disappeared from view.

Kaldur had finally seen her, and now that he had, nothing was going to stop him from doing what his master promised.


	12. The Truth Hurts

_**Author's Comment:**_ Hey everyone. So, many of you are probably wondering why I have re-posted this chapter so soon after the original one and the reason is that I messed up, badly. In my rush to get the next chapter out, and doing so without sleep, I destroyed a good scene that was supposed to clench this chapter and continue onto the next one. Shout out to Spectrer who reminded me with his review, I wanted to fix that so here is the new one. ***SPOILER*** For those of you who are wondering what I changed, and don't want to go through the entire thing again, look for the section where Kaldur arrives as Maven's house for the first time and they are talking about curing him. I also changed small bits from the end of that scene to the end of the chapter so reread that section. ***END SPOILER*** Thank you for all your support, and I hope to do better in the future for you guys, this story is for your enjoyment after all. I did lose a follower to this mistake i believe (went from 30 to 29) and I want to prevent that in future writes.

Chapter 11: The Truth Hurts

Kaldur gripped the rigging with his right hand, watching Gangplanks men below on the deck of the massive galleon as they removed the plunder from one of his master's raids. The ship was massive, lined with metal and harbored the biggest assortment of weapons Kaldur had ever seen on a ship. According to Gangplank, he had stolen this ship from a Noxian leader, the pride of their navy.

"Kaldur!" came a voice from below.

Shaking his head from his recollection, Kaldur looked down to see Dian standing next to a large crate that was painted in large red Noxian words he couldn't identify.

"Get down here and help me with this container."

Letting his hand loose, Kaldur dropped from the rafters in a flip and landed on his feet, letting his magic brace his legs.

"Show off." Dian remarked as he moved to the other side of the crate. With a small smirk, Kaldur lifted up his end.

"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean I am showing off."

"That is the definition of 'showing off.' Back me up here Hagrif."

"Don' go lookin' a' me." Hagrif replied with a shrug, holding two large crates in either arm above his head. "Mosh id be the one to ask."

"Mosh?" Dian replied, turning her head as she and Kaldur moved the crate to the bridge by the dock.

Mosh, who had been examining a series of red hextech crystals that had been on the ship, looked up, his face a placid as every other occasion.

"Did he act with flare?"

"Oh, sooo much flare." Dian mocked.

"I did not!" Kaldur reacted defensively.

Hagrif chuckled. "Easy to mark ya' mate!"

Kaldur sighed. "Let's just get this done, master needs me afterwards and I don't want to be late."

Dian and Hagrif dropped their smiles but kept working at the comment. Over the last few weeks, Kaldur had managed to break out of his shell around the group, only his master kept him in check and commanded him. While the crew was more than willing to go with Kaldur's devotion to his quest and their captain, it did seem to strain conversations whenever he would mention Gangplank as 'master.'

"Hey, Kaldur. Why don't you go out for drinks with us tonight?" Asked Dian, setting down the large crate by the dock.

Kaldur laughed. "I would love to." But just as he said that, his face darkened slightly. "But, I must not betray my master. I must ask permission."

Dian raised an eyebrow, a sad expression behind her eyes. "Kaldur, you're one of us now, you don't need to ask permission…"

"Nope!" Interrupted Mosh.

Dian looked up at him as Mosh continued. "Going for a drink may be all fine and good for us, but if he doesn't ask the Captain at least, there will be consequences. Gangplank owns him; do you want to break him even more?"

Dian put her hands on her hips, and cocked her head to the side, an angry scowl painting her face. "Like you actually care!"

Mosh shrugged. "Caring has nothing to do with it. If we break him anymore, we could lose a valuable asset. Even worse: the captain might seek retribution."

Dian glared for a little longer, then closed her eyes and shook her head. "Fine. Kaldur, when we get back, ask Gangplank if you can."

Kaldur, while all very much interested in the conversation, was utterly confused by its meaning. While he was quite positive it was about him, something in his mind kept him from looking at it any more closely, forcing him to just nod, smile, and move on. Moving up the ramp, he continued to help unload.

When all the supplies were moved to the cliff-side tavern, Kaldur separated from the group and made his way to the master's chambers. Knocking on the door, he was beckoned inside. Taking a knee at Gangplanks feet, Kaldur stared at the floor.

"Master. All of the supplies have been safely placed in the hold."

"Good. You may leave."

"Master? I have a request to make."

Gangplank paused for a moment. "Go on."

"Dian and the others have invited me out for a drink. Is it alright with you that I tag along?"

Gangplank turned and looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "We have drinks here."

"It is my belief that Dian wants to cause some chaos in some of the local taverns, though she didn't specify."

Gangplank shook his head. "That woman's always causin' something. No, you may not go. I need you for something big tomorrow and I can't have you unfit for anything."

"Yes, master." Taking a slight nod, Kaldur slid out of the room and walked back to his room.

It had been a bit since he had been as lost in thought as he was; so much so that he almost forgot where his room was. Arriving at the door, Kaldur looked up to find that Dian was leaning against his doorframe with her arms crossed and a worried expression on her face.

"Said 'no' did he?"

Kaldur nodded.

Dian made a loud disappointed sigh before removing herself from the door frame. Walking up to Kaldur she put a hand on his shirtless shoulder, but still didn't look at him.

"I know your mind won't let you understand this, but I have to say it anyway. You are so much more than a man who should be forced to lick the boots of someone else just because. I have seen you be more than just a slave over these few weeks, Kaldur. If it weren't for that stupid tactic our captain uses, I am sure you could have been a great guy. I hope that one day, when you become yourself again, that you will choose to stay because you want to, not because you were forced to."

Walking away, Dian disappeared around the corner and down the stairs, leaving Kaldur with more of a headache than he cared to have. Turning into his room, Kaldur flopped on his bed and closed his eyes; though more for the escape than to actually find any sleep. Shifting constantly, Kaldur couldn't sleep that night, and when the crack of dawn approached the horizon, he found himself wandering the halls in order to clear whatever was clawing at his mind. It was early morning when Gangplank found Kaldur in the lower tavern by the fire with an ale in his hands.

"Ready?"

"Yes, Master."

Kaldur arrived at the small plateau in which he normally trained, only to find a large grouping of renegades sitting around in quiet conversation; Dian and the others among them. From what he could tell, there were a good fifty men atop this steep mountaintop, enough to storm a small town and cause a ruckus; if not take it over.

"We are finally ready." Gangplank began. "It is time I took back what was mine, and some of what was yours."

A cheer erupted from the men, only silencing when Gangplank raised his hand.

"Today, we take back the storehouse that was stolen those many moons ago. When we raid the slaughter docks, the city of Bilgewater will finally remember the Jagged hooks, and the water will ripple with more blood than creatures of the deep could hope to scour."

Another cheer.

"This is meant to send a message, leave no one who interferes alive. Mosh, get your crew ready."

All the men in the area cheered for a final time before heading back into the tavern to ready up. Kaldur, Mosh, Dian, and Hagrif, made their way to Gangplank who stood looking over the edge of the cliff at the sunrise and the city that bellowed in shadows.

"Most of our supplies are ready." Mosh explained. "I still think that this is a mistake, once we take it every other gang in this place will be trying to get their hands on whatever you put in it; just like before."

"You think I haven't thought of that?"

"Captain, all I am saying is…"

"I know what you're saying, Mosh." Gangplank interrupted. "But in all these years, do you think I would make a decision this rash without a reason."

Mosh looked a little hurt. "No, sir."

"Ever since my … incident … that place has been held by other gangs who would see it as a place of power. I will not make the mistake of housing my plunder in a place such as that, but I will see that power, and image, is properly restored. Bilgewater is mine, and this is the first real step."

"If Miss Fortune learns of this …" Mosh began.

Gangplank laughed. It wasn't his usual chuckle at the expense of others, but rather one of pure excitement.

"I plan on it." He said, turning to Kaldur.

"And that means your Vastayan friend will be there as well."

Kaldur's mind went blank once more and focused on the image of Ahri in the petricite chains. He could think of nothing else, it was only her.

"I will save her." He said, almost mindlessly.

"Yes you will, boy, yes you will."

Gangplank moved away from the edge with Kaldur's crew following behind, and for the next hour prepared all of their weapons and armor they would need for the raid. Gangplank wore his signature cutlass, but on his left hip he wore a large flintlock pistol that looked like a sawed-off shotgun. Dian wore her usual tan wrap that covered her chest, and heavy whale skin pants, but this time she added a skin strap over her shoulder that included a shoulder pad over her non dominant arm, and wore her crossbow and bolts over her back. Mosh looked like he always had: staff in one hand, and the greyest of grey cloaks covering his body from view. Hagrif was the only one who had a major overhaul. With a Noxian chest plate, and are covers that looked like layered metal atop his massive arms, the man carried the biggest harpoon gun he had seen.

"Hagrif, while that could easily kill a man, why do you carry the most unwieldy weapon here?" Kaldur asked, eyebrow raised.

"Ha! Bigger da' gun, bigger da' hole! That also mean more men a' can swing." He answered, a giant grin across his face.

"Speak for yourself mister no armor." Dian commented, looking at Kaldur.

Wearing the same clothes that his master had given him, Kadlur still wore no shirt, believing it to be Gangplanks wish.

"Cap, you mind if I make him put a shirt on?"

"So long as it doesn't slow him down." Gangplank replied, setting up barrels full of gunpowder.

Pulling out her teal vest made of smooth leviathan scales, she handed it over to Kaldur. "It's not much, but it should keep you from getting hit."

Kaldur shook his head. "This is yours, I cannot take it. I can do with a regular shirt."

"Just take the damn thing!" Dian barked. "You already have enough scars as it is, you don't need more."

Begrudgingly, Kaldur accepted and put it on over his chest. It had not buttons to hold it together, but it did feel the right size and shape. Dian crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side, admiring the wear.

"Doesn't look half bad, but I still think something under it would do better."

Kaldur shrugged and moved to load the raiding carts. After a bit of finagling to get the men out of their cheerful façade, Gangplank and his people moved down to the docks below where a fleet of small longboats waited to load the crew. The day was just beginning, and while it was rare to see multiple people walking around on the wooden pathways, there were plenty of sailors by the Slaughter docks getting ready for the day's hunting. The chum filled waters as the longboats moved across the water, rippled with motion from the sharks that sought to fill their gullet; all the while, the small rats with fins wandered the docks in search of scraps.

The storehouse itself was massive, enough so that Kaldur could see it from afar as he followed his team along the wooden planks towards the big iron gates. The portcullis itself was the side of a small fletching ship, and one with a large sail. Where the main entrance could only be accessed by either water, or the small stone sidewalks on either side of the gate, the entire building was easily three stories high and just as wide. Sided next to the initial build of shops and taverns, the building was snug up against one of the larger rocks that acted as an entrance to the harbor.

While the city itself was Bilgewater, this place was known as Rat town to many of the locals as the scurvy infested rats seemed to own the place. It also housed the entire crew of what remained of the leading Crow's gang. While the man himself was dead, it seemed that his gang lived on in his name, and housed themselves in the old warehouse as a safe haven, despite the fact that Miss Fortune seemed to run most of what was left after Gangplanks fall.

In front of the massive building were nearly ten men who were standing watch, some playing cards while others watched the waters from their seats of barrels. As Kaldur, Dian, and the rest rounded the corner of the building, on foot, Kaldur could hear the sounds of laughter and working men within the Warehouse. Nodding to Kaldur, Dian placed one of her grappling hook bolts into her crossbow and fired to the top of the building. With a slight tug as it landed, Dian clambered up the side of the wall that lead to the roof where a small escape hatch was supposed to exist. Hagrif, taking that as his cue, used the rope, which groaned under his weight, to climb onto the roof and move to the other side of the building. Looking around the corner at the guards, Mosh took the lead and revealed himself.

"Hey! Who you be?" called one of the guards, readying a pistol.

Mosh didn't hesitate as he spun his staff and tossed a large orb into the center of the group. With a small flash, the group of brigands were frozen in place, with the exception of the two in the back. Taking advantage of the spell, Kaldur ran straight through the frozen opponents and slashed each one in the chest till he reached the end, using his magic to jump over the waterway that lead into the building. When the last blow had been struck, the spell wavered, and each member struck fell to the floor with only a small thud. Confused about what happened, the remaining two men, each rearing a pistol in Kaldur's direction fired, letting two small explosions loose.

Flinching from the sound, Kaldur blinked as he saw that the shots were blocked by a small field in front of him. Turning around he noticed that Mosh was holding his staff forward in front of him, the hextech glowing a nice purple. As Kaldur turned around, he watched as the two men ran to the corner of the warehouse, only to be greeted by one of their members flying into view from around the bend, and landing into the water with a loud scream. Popping up from the spot where the man appeared was Hagrif, holding his harpoon gun in one hand while the rope was attached to something out of view.

The men stopped in awe at the giant who revealed himself before them, grinning as usual. With one hand, Hagrif grabbed the first man by the neck and lifted him into the air. After a brief second and a small crack, the man hung lump in the giant's grip. The last man watched in horror as his teammate flumped to the floor. Looking at Hagrif, it was more of a surprise when Kaldur slid his sword through the man's back, leaving him unconscious on the floor.

Clearing the personnel from the docking, Kaldur watched as Gangplank, one foot on the bow of the longboat, and standing in all his glory, came into view of the Warehouse's front entrance.

With a loud roar from his men, Gangplank stepped off the boat and onto the concrete, wandering to the front entrance and looking into the gaps with a sinister grin. Inside the warehouse, people were scrambling for weapons and positions as they became aware of the commotion outside.

"Hurry, we can't let him!" cried one man; but just as he let out his command, a bolt punctured his throat from somewhere in the shadows.

"They're in here!" came another yell just as a small explosion echoed from one of the rooms inside, tossing men aside like debris.

After only a moment of chaos, there was a loud click and the portcullis began to raise out of the water, letting Gangplank have full view of the enemy.

"Kill them all!" Screamed the pirate as he raised his cutlass into the air.

The warehouse was swarmed with Jagged hook members in seconds, and nothing the Crows did could stop them. With all the confusion in the room, it was a wonder everyone was able to find cover as the bullets went flying. The inside of the warehouse was ginormous, and the external look didn't do it justice. Braced with metal beams on all walls, the first two floors were an open cavern of tables, supplies, and gear designed to remove heavy objects from a ship that would anchor in the center. The second level was a series of wooden and iron balconies that lead into smaller rooms with open doors. Despite the open room, it felt like this place was almost an industrial complex in its own right.

"Throw!" Gangplank ordered, and while Kaldur was distracted by the place in his own cover behind some crates, a pair of men who appeared from outside tossed a barrel into the room on the far end. With panicked faces, the men of the Crow gang who were near it began to run. Taking his large pistol, Gangplank aimed at the barrel and fired. The barrel, filled with gunpowder, exploded upon impact causing those running to fly across the room, in one piece if they were lucky. As the explosion reached the balconies above, the wood shattered, tossing men who were firing from above onto the floor.

"Captain!" came a shout from above. Peaking his head out from behind his cover, Kaldur saw Dian sitting in the corner of the far wall next to where the balcony had busted, her crossbow aiming at the men atop the other side of the room.

"Watch where you light those things! You almost hit me!"

Gangplank smiled. "You'll live."

Shaking her head, she took another shot, striking a man in the head and forcing his body to fall atop another who was struggling to get out from under an overturned cannon from storage. With gunfire being propagated from every corner of the room, Kaldur had a hard time finding an opening where he could slip past and damage the enemy. While he didn't want to use it, as it drained a lot of energy, Kaldur's mind kept wandering toward the shield he had been perfecting since the time he had been captured in the first place. While it wasn't that big, and he could only actively hold a small one on his right arm, it was still better than nothing.

Just as he began to build up the energy, a loud screeching came out as three Crow members dragged a large cannon out of one of the side rooms on the base floor, using the crates as cover.

"Dian! Take them out!" Ordered Gangplank.

Dodging a few shots aimed at her direction, Dian shook her head. "I don't have a shot, they got me pinned!"

"Hagrif! Get her out of there. Mosh, stun that far corner on the right. Kaldur! Take out that cannon!"

Building up his shield and the sword, Kaldur raised it above his head to keep cover and dove for the cannon as they loaded it. Bullets whizzed around his head, some being absorbed by the shield, as he ran for the cannon, using his magic to augment his legs. With a quick dive over the barrels, Kaldur rolled up onto his feet and struck the first man who was putting the cannon ball into the barrel, causing him to drop it as he fell. The second man who was aiming the cannon, flew at Kaldur with his blade while the third man fired his pistol. Blocking the bullet with his shield, and the man's serrated dirk with his sword; Kaldur kicked the flintlock man in the chest sending him flying. As his foot came back down to the ground, Kaldur slipped the dirk off his sword and swung the blade horizontally across the enemy's chest. Spinning around, he stabbed the flintlock man in the chest as he lay on the floor, causing him to scream in pain as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

Turning around, Kaldur watched as the Crow gang was overrun by Gangplanks Jagged Hooks, each falling to the floor at a rapid pace. Mosh, who had just stunned a group of them in the corner, watched as they were gunned down; all the while Hagrif had managed to get Dian down from the top without any trouble.

"Search the place, find anything of value, then place the barrels; I don't want anything left for that woman to claim. You find any more, kill them."

While there were still a few scuffles here and there from people trying to live, the warehouse had died down to the dull roar of the sound of moving feet and busy work. Taking his time to rest after using so much magic at once, Kaldur sat outside of the front gate to watch the waves. While Gangplank oversaw the entire operation, he didn't move much very far from the entrance as he watched his men place the barrels in certain spots. Mosh, still unmoved by the many minutes of chaos, just sat and watched with blank enthusiasm. Hagrif, caring as he was, sat next to Dian as she wrapped her wounds from some of the gunshots that almost reached her vitals; of all the people here, she had the hardest part of the job.

"When you're done, I want you all out here, we have…"

Pausing mid-sentence, Gangplank turned to the dock as he watched the remaining capital ships.

"Get out, NOW!" He ordered.

Curious about what he saw, Kaldur turned his gaze to the ships. At first, he didn't notice anything he hadn't seen before, but after a closer look, it seemed like there were men in longboats, many men, rowing their way towards the warehouse.

"Well, well. Now this is quite the surprise." Came a female voice.

It seemed to happen in almost a blink. With the sound of readied weapons, men dressed in black and gold seafarers cloaks appeared from the furthest corners of the inner warehouse, holding their weapons to the members of the Jagged Hooks who were still busy loading materials. Outside of the building, where Gangplank, Kaldur, Dian and her crew stood, came groups of men wielding long rifles and pistols trained at everyone heads. Even though that was the case, most members of the Jagged Hooks raised their weapons in defense at the intruders.

They were surrounded.

As Kaldur froze, he turned his head to see a familiar red headed woman walk around the Northern corner of the nearest building, twin pistols in her hands at her sides. While the woman was indeed the same one he saw the same day he separated from Ahri, she was indeed dressed differently. Wearing a white sea coat embroidered with gold, and a smaller captains hat with a red feather; she was far more covered than earlier and looked much more menacing.

Gangplank laughed.

"Fortune. Seems like you've been busy."

"You were supposed to be dead!" Miss fortune began. "Though I guess it was my own fault for not listening to the rumors, don't put much stock in them."

Gangplank smiled once more and sat down on one of the gunpowder barrels. Pulling out a blood orange from his coat pocket, he began to peal it with his bare hands, not paying attention. "Rumors can be invaluable, little lady. Though I would say the rumor of my death wasn't all that reliable; I mean …" He said, holding up his metal arm. "You didn't quite finish the job."

"A job I intend to finish." She said, pulling up her pistols, training them at Gangplank.

"If you wanted to kill me you would have done it the moment you saw me." Gangplank began. "You already know what I put around this place; you shoot, this whole place blows. That confident you can survive what I did?"

Miss Fortune didn't move.

Taking a bite out of his orange, Gangplank looked up at the red head. "Though, knowing you Sarah," He began, watching for her reaction. "This wouldn't bother you. You would blow yourself up just to get to me, what's changed?"

Miss Fortune still made no reaction.

"Aw, come off it Fortune! We are the same creatures, me and you. We take what we want, when we want it, no matter the cost."

"I am nothing like you."

Gangplank smiled. "There is the fire I remember." Standing up, Gangplank moved over to Sarah, placing his chest near the barrels of the huge dual pistols.

"I can see it. You're burning to pull the trigger, you want my death more than anything. I'm standing right here, why hesitate?"

Kaldur couldn't see anything in her reaction, but Gangplank must have because he began to laugh like there was nothing to care about anymore.

"It's the kid!" He laughed. "You made a deal with that Vastayan, didn't you?"

Turning around, Gangplank looked at Kaldur.

"She's here isn't she?" He said, looking around in mockery. "Bring her out, let her see what I have done!"

Miss Fortune, defiance ridden in her eyes, slightly lowered her pistols, and tilted her head to the side. "Ahri, come on out."

Kaldur jumped to his feet at the mention of Ahri, and just as his excitement peaked, she wandered around the corner to stand next to Sarah. All nine tails flowing behind her with grace, Ahri came about and looked straight at Kaldur, sadness lining her eyes.

"Ahri, get away from her!" cried Kaldur. "She's using you! You can be free, I can save you!"

Ahri's eyes betrayed everything. With a tear falling from her eye, she looked in shock at Kaldur.

Kaldur …" She began, but closed her mouth, not sure of what to say.

Gangplank watched for a good moment as the silence dragged, and just as Kaldur was about to jump towards Miss Fortune, Gangplank placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.

"Easy, boy."

Kaldur turned to Gangplank. "I need to save her, Master!" He pleaded.

"I know, and we will. Be patient."

Turning to Ahri and Miss Fortune, a large grin crossed Gangplanks face; one lined with all the malice he could muster.

"He's mine Fortune, I have made it so he will be mine forever."

Miss Fortune was fuming. "You're a monster. You think I'm like you?! I've killed, but even I couldn't do that to anyone."

"Ha! You would like to think that wouldn't you little lady; but that's only because you haven't tried it yet. I made him mine, and I will make her mine too." He declared pointing at Ahri.

Stepping in front of Ahri, Sarah pointed her pistols up once more. "Over my dead body!"

"That's the plan." Gangplank replied.

Fortune didn't have time to react. In a split second, Gangplank pulled his pistol and aimed into the Warehouse.

"FIRE!" Fortune cried as she let lose her pistols at Gangplank.

"NO!" Cried Ahri.

Everything happened so fast that Kaldur wasn't able to keep track at first. With the first shots from Miss Fortunes pistols, two bullets struck Gangplank as he braced, firing his own shot into the Warehouse. As the first shots disappeared, they became drowned out by the explosion that echoed in the building, lighting the area on fire in an instant. Diving into the waters, Gangplank let the explosion toss him away, as Kaldur flew in the same direction. He couldn't see much of what happened to Ahri, but he was able to see that Fortune grabbed her, and dove as far away from the explosion as she could. While the sounds of misfired rounds echoed through the docks, it became a dull thud as Kaldur's ears were covered by the stinging salt water.

Pushing to the surface, Kaldur looked around to see what had happened. The warehouse was destroyed, and on fire. With members from both Fortunes, and Gangplanks gangs diving into the water. Kaldur watched as Hagrif guarded Dian from the debris that flew at them in the water. Looking around, Kaldur tried to catch a glimpse of Ahri, but no matter where he looked he couldn't find her. It was only in that moment where he felt a strong metal hand grip him and fling him out of the water onto a longboat. Looking up from the flat of his back, Kaldur saw a grinning Gangplank watching the destruction unfold before him.

Sitting up, Kaldur watched as the remaining members of the Jagged Hooks found their boats, and clambered onto them, going as fast as they could to avoid the ravenous creatures that lay in the bay. From what he could tell, only a good ten men remained, not including Dian, Hagrif, and Mosh; who was both dry and uninjured form the entire experience.

Gangplanks men were the first to find the safety of their longboats, and while their pistols were rendered useless from the water, it didn't mean they couldn't stab at the remaining men of Fortunes group, making sure they didn't make it.

With the Warehouse in ruins, and dead men from both sides filling the water, Gangplank moved his remaining Crewmates back to the tavern, making sure that they kept themselves covered from all sides. It was nearly thirty minutes before they made it back to the safety of the tavern, and while Gangplanks crew was only a fifth of what it was, most of them dying by the man himself, the remaining Jagged Hooks, even the ones at the base, celebrated in vigor at this supposed victory.

"Did ya' see 'er run?" called one man, who was full on beer and ale from the other days purchase.

"Sure did. Ran scared from the ol' Captain himself." Answered another just as drunk.

Kaldur sat by himself in the corner. Forbidden from leaving the room, he was told to enjoy in the festivities while the crew recuperated; however much he wasn't in the mood to. With a stale beer on the table next to him, Kaldur kept replaying events in his head, constantly returning to the image of a crying Ahri standing just across from him. Shaking his head, Kaldur began to feel fuzzy as he pursued these images, and the longer he focused on them, the more the pain fought against him.

Feeling dizzy, Kaldur leaned over his knees, placing his head on his hands and his elbows on his legs. He wanted to rescue Ahri, but he couldn't; he wanted to do the right thing, but something didn't feel right. It was all so confusing, and in his head he couldn't make sense of what he was feeling. His stomach heaved, and as he looked down at the ground he was surprised to find that nothing came out.

"Take my power." Came a familiar voice.

"Go away you …"

"Kaldur?" Dian called, laying a hand on his back. "You doing ok?"

Kaldur shot up and looked at Dian, shaking the uneasy feelings away. Standing here without her weapons and armor she looked just like a normal girl, a strong one, but somehow normal. Handing him a jug of water, she smiled.

"You look like you could use this." She commented, taking a seat next to him.

"Thanks." He said, appreciatively taking the water and downing it.

"I know it doesn't seem like much, but this is a victory for us." Dian commented, leaning back.

"I know, or, at least I know the master believes it."

Dian made a sigh. "What do you actually think of this? I want to know your thoughts, not the captains."

Kaldur shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, yeah, sure, we won."

Dian smacked him upside the head. "Your thoughts."

Kaldur rubbed his head and turned to the crazy crew of brigands in front of him.

"We lost too many people for it to be a victory. Not to mention I was unable to save Ahri. I don't count this as a victory… I count this as an unnecessary slaughter."

"That's more like it." Dian commented. "Got any more crazy thoughts while you're at it?"

Kaldur smiled. "Not very crazy. My head just keeps hurting whenever I think about this stuff too much. I don't want to doubt the master but …"

"But?"

"But something seems wrong around here and I don't know what it is."

Dain made another perpetuated sigh before leaning forward. "Sadly, Kaldur, as you are now you won't be able to understand. I tried telling you before but it doesn't look like my comments will make a difference."

"What did you try to tell me before?" Kaldur asked.

With a saddened smile, Dian stood up. "Never mind that. Come on and take a jig with me."

Kaldur was confused. "I don't know the dances of your people."

Dian laughed setting down her drink. "Just take my hand."

Grabbing Kaldur by the hand, Dian threw him into the center, all the while moving with the strum of the lute that one of the members began to play. Standing there like an idiot, Kaldur began to sway with the music as Dian wandered around him to the beat. It was only a moment before everyone was watching them, and then Dian grabbed his hands again and they began to spin to the rhythm as another crew mate pulled out a drum.

Swaying to and from, Kaldur moved in closer as he got into the music, remembering some of what he was taught in grade school. Dian, accepting his motion, pulled him even closer and the two began to move faster to the music until it seemed like they were lost to the music.

"This is all you need to focus on." Dian whispered.

"I like it."

Dian's smile grew. "Don't worry about that Vastayan. You don't need to save her, just enjoy yourself here."

Kaldur seemed to freeze mid-step as the words left her mouth. "Forget … Ahri?"

In an instant a throbbing pain hit Kaldur in the head, causing him to stumble forward and the music to stop. Swaying as his vision began to blur, Kaldur tried to catch himself only to fall to the floor.

"Kaldur!" Dian cried.

"Forget …." Kaldur mumbled, and just like that his vision went black.

The darkness seemed to last for an eternity, where only fragments of consciousness seeped through. As Kaldur lay down on his bed, he could only catch moments of conversations around him. Some with faces, and voices, he recognized, others he didn't; but each conversation involved him somehow. It was only in moments of complete silence where he truly felt alone, wandering in the thoughts that made his mind split. It only seemed like brief moments, but at times he swore that he could see Ahri in many of the images, yet other times he saw someone who looked like himself, but he couldn't recognize the actual person.

"… happens when he breaks?" The voice seemed far clearer than normal, and as Kaldur opened his eyes he witnessed both Dian and Gangplank standing in his room by the far door.

"I do not care if he breaks. He serves a purpose, just like you and everyone else."

Dian stared defiantly at his master, glaring with hostile intent. "If he is so expendable, then why is it we are caring for him now? Captain, I trust you to follow your ambition and do what you need to do to move up, but can you really think so lowly of an asset such as him?"

Gangplank leaned in and pointed one of his metallic fingers at her face. "You are valuable to me, and that is the only reason I don't string you up. He may be valuable, but I will not wait for him to come out of a head sleep that could last years. Is that understood?"

Dian made an obvious sigh and turned to look at Kaldur. "I don't think you have to Captain." With a big grin she nodded towards where Kaldur lay.

Sitting up, Kaldur nodded to his master who turned to look, stunned at what he was seeing.

"How long was I out?" Kaldur asked.

"Five days, give or take a few tantrums." Dian joked.

Gangplank grunted in acknowledgement, making sure to keep the door closed.

"What happened?" Kaldur asked, keeping his voice low.

"Don't know." Dian shrugged. "One moment you were dancing, the next you fell to the floor in a fit. We've been taking care of you up here. The rumor is that the Vastayan did something to you back at the docks."

Kaldur looked down at his hands. They didn't look that bad, but he could tell that he was weaker than before, most likely due to the lack of food.

"Haven't heard anything about Fortune though." Dian continued. "Some think she ran scared, but most aren't sure since her actions have stopped."

"Keep the brief short. We have work to do." Gangplank ordered, as he watched from the window.

"Well, Ironically, we did get a message the same day you passed out for a trade. You for the Vastayan a week from when it was given." Dian seemed to spit the words. "But, aside from that, we got nothing on her."

"You just said you hadn't heard anything about her." Kaldur commented, still a little weak.

"I said about Fortune's movements, her message came by from a kid that seemed to know Gangplank was here; though I'll admit it's a little hard to hide the man once he made himself known, again."

Gangplank shut the window.

"Anyway, I'm quite sure we are not going to go for the trade, it's obviously a trap and I don't think losing you would be a good idea."

"That's precisely why we are going." Gangplank announced.

Dian spun, shocked at the words. "You just said, not three days before, that this was a stupid trade."

"Stupid, but not unbeneficial."

"Captain …" Dian tried to protest.

"Keep your mouth running, Dian. See where it leads."

Kaldur could hear the click of Dian's mouth as it slammed shut.

"I will not continue to explain myself. Do as I say, or do I have to make an example of you to the crew?"

Dian spoke through gritted teeth. "No, sir."

"Good. Help Kaldur ready up. We meet at the Butchers Bridge in two days."

Kaldur watched as Gangplank exited his room and closed the door behind him. Dain, once she was sure he was out of earshot, slammed her hand on the dresser, making Kaldur jump a little.

"What in the Bearded Lady is that man thinking!? Of course it's a trap! Does he think we can walk in there, make the trade, and walk out alive!? That man is a …" Dian paused for a moment and looked at the closed window before something seemed to click. "Very ambitious man. If that greed of his doesn't kill us, something will."

Spinning to Kaldur, Dian put her hands on her hips and stared at him; a small smirk lining her face.

"Whelp, let's go get some grub. You look like you could use it."

Sliding Kaldur out of the bed, Dian dragged him down to the mess and began to pullout whatever was ready and put it on a plate. He didn't want to admit it, but he was starving, and when he smelled the aroma of food in the air, he couldn't help but salivate at the meal. Setting down a mug of beer and food in front of him, Kaldur dove in with both hands.

"Easy there. You're gonna' choke."

Kaldur didn't care and just kept at it till there was nothing left. Leaning back he took a deep breath at the meal and looked at an awe struck Dian.

"What?"

"I swear, you could eat this entire crew under the table."

"I was just a little hungry." Kaldur shrugged.

"I'd have to see what you're like 'a lot hungry'."

Laughing away at the conversation, Kaldur spent the next day making sure that he regained whatever strength he had lost in the five days of unconsciousness. It wasn't much, but Dian was always there with him, making sure that he was working to the best of his ability, and that the rest of the crew left him be whenever he trained.

Finally, the day came where the trade was to take place, and the tavern was busy as all could be.

"Master, what am I going to be doing? I'm positive you're not going to trade me, so what is the plan?"

"Thinking too much are we?" Gangplank responded, looking down at a map of the Bridge.

"Master, I'm sorry I…"

Gangplank chuckled. "It's fine. You don't need to worry about it. I will take care of everything. Just follow my orders and you will do fine."

Kaldur nodded in response and left the room, making sure to close the door behind him. Heading towards the storage area where many members of the crew were preparing, Kaldur sat in a corner to just wait out the excitement he felt at seeing Ahri one more time.

By the time he managed to calm himself, the crew was ready, and they moved out at the brink of sundown. With Kaldur in the middle, guarded at all ends, Dian, Mosh, Hagrif, Gangplank, and four other men, surrounded him in a small circle as they made their way through the mid-levels of the scaffolding that hung over the falling abyss to the ocean. The town was silent, and as they moved their way through the winding overhangs, it felt even more so. It was nearly a half an hour, taking many backways to keep their tracks unpredictable, they finally arrived at the massive bridge which connected the two sides of the town that rested on the cliffsides. The bridge itself was a massive stone structure decorated in old stone and metal planks that bolted to the sides. The bridge was wide enough to house nearly ten people side to side, and it looked very much like the floors were stained with blood and bullet holes from previous exchanges.

Standing on the far Eastern side, the crew stopped. On the other side was another crew of people, all dressed in black; accept the figure to the middle left. Kaldur took a deep breath as he saw Ahri standing there, watching him as well.

"I said come alone!" Called out Fortunes voice from the far side.

"Dressed like that so I can't see you eh Sarah? Well if you weren't going to come alone then neither was I." Gangplank retorted. "Besides, I made sure you weren't going to do anything stupid. Those gunners you have on the far side are all you're gonna' get."

Kaldur took a quick look around the bridge and noticed that there were many more of Gangplanks men held up in small crevices higher up. Each aiming a rifle at the center area. On the far side, though it was a little far for his eyes sight, Kaldur could see many of Fortunes men in a similar position.

"This was stupid, Fortune. Did you think I would allow a simple trade without some contingencies?"

"Then bind your dog and send him over!" Called out Miss Fortune.

Gangplank laughed. "I don't trust your chains Sarah, put these on that fox of yours and I'll put on yours."

Reaching behind him, Gangplank grabbed a set of shackles, completely made of petricite, and handed them to Hagrif. Taking the chains from him, Hagrif leaned back and chucked them across the bridge, making sure they landed slightly towards Fortune's side of the middle. Just as they landed, a man dressed in the same black, came forward and threw a similar pair of chains near Gangplanks side.

"Being awfully fair, aren't we Gangplank?" Miss Fortune chided.

"I am never fair. I am just making sure I get what I want." Gangplank replied.

On que, Mosh stepped up to Kaldur's back and placed his hand there, chanting quietly.

"Don't move, boy. Just follow Fortunes instructions and all will be fine." Gangplank whispered under his breath.

Kaldur made a slight nod and waited till Mosh was done.

"One person with him, once you grab the chains." Called Miss Fortune.

As she finished, one man from both sides ran forward and grabbed the chains that lay on the ground and hurried back. With the shackles open, the man walked forward to Kaldur. With an explosion of fear, Kaldur stepped back, away from the chains.

"Master, please don't make me wear those." Kaldur pleaded, backing away further.

Stopping the man, Gangplank moved forward and grabbed the chains from him and turned around to Kaldur, placing his metal hand on his shoulder.

"I will not let them get you, my boy. Just where these for a moment, it will be quick, and then I will make sure they are off."

Kaldur's fear was still there, no matter what Gangplanks words tried to sweep away, but he nodded and held out his arms. With a small clink, the shackles surrounded his wrists and he felt the weight of the world pull them down. With a gentle nudge from Gangplanks hand, Kaldur and a member from the crew began to walk forward.

Each step was both exhausting, and exhilarating, at the same time. Watching Ahri, bound in handcuffs the same as him, walk toward him as he moved to her, he wanted nothing more than to call out; but decided better of it and kept his mouth shut. Reaching the middle, Kaldur raised his eyes to watch Ahri as she moved to pass him; but instead of looking at him, she was looking downward. Kaldur felt the world shake as he moved past her, and no matter what was going on around him, his mind would not focus on anything.

"Don't you trust me?" Ahri whispered, as her head passed his ears.

His vision cleared, his mind focused, and everything he had ever felt before came rushing back like he had been muddled the entire time. Turning around, Kaldur watched as the chains from Ahri's wrists fell to the floor, and she spun around, giving him a hug.

Raising her right arm in the air, Ahri held a small device that contained a small hextech crystal within it, much like that of a grenade, and flipped the golden switch that lay on the side. With a large flash, the area around them glowed, and Kaldur felt the spell Mosh had cast vanish away from his back, removing the tingling sensation. As the flash disappeared, Ahri gripped Kaldur, who was still dazed by the effects of everything, by the waste. With a rush of magic, Kaldur and Ahri flew over the edge of the bridge, and he found that in an instant he was looking straight at the town narrows nearly a hundred feet below them. As he gazed up at Ahri, he noticed that she was glowing a bright blue with her eyes the solid color and flames sprouted around her.

She was smiling, and while he was sure they were falling at this moment, he was quite sure that everything was under control; that it was safe.

Dropping towards the water below them, Kaldur felt the rush of the wind fill his ears, and the grip of Ahri tighten as they plummeted to the bottom. While it was only a small sound, he could swear that the sound of gunfire was also present, but he wasn't sure from where. Holding him tighter, Ahri spun to where her feet faced the bottom and charged her magic once more, watching the cliffside for something specific. When she finally spot it, there was a small chime as her magic pushed her once more away from the crumbling abyss and onto a net that dangled over the edge and was connected by large wooden poles protruding from the stone walkways.

Striking the net with enough force to knock his breath away, Kaldur watched as Ahri grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the platform.

"We need to hurry, this way." Ahri called as she pulled him towards the alleyways embedded between the boated buildings. Still not sure of what was going on, Kaldur followed her without saying a word, letting her drag him through the narrow passages. Ahri didn't say a word as they moved quietly from one pathway to the next, only stopping him with a hand gesture as she gazed around a few corners; avoiding the lit ways at all costs. After a few minutes, Ahri managed to stop at a small area of garbage littering the dead end, and reached behind a few buzzing barrels. Outward she pulled two thick grey cloaks and tossed one at Kaldur telling him to put it on.

Grabbing them, Kaldur tried, but only to realize that he was still wearing the chains he had put on not ten minutes prior. Backing up in fear, he almost screamed when Ahri dove on his hands keeping him silent. Using a small metal file, Ahri reached through the locks and flung the seams loose, letting chains fall to the floor. Grabbing them from the floor, Ahri tossed them into one of the refuse barrels and turned to Kaldur, putting the cloak around him.

"It's alright, I'm here." She cooed, keeping her voice.

"I did it." Kaldur commented. "I saved you."

Ahri winced as if she were in pain, before making a forced smile at him. "Yes, yes you did. Now, let's get out of here."

Grabbing his hand, the pair moved slower through the walkways, sometimes even appearing in crowded market districts where people were selling goods through the windows of their buildings, letting the aroma of food build the area. Dragging him through the people, Ahri meandered for a good ten more minutes before diving behind a small bakery. Walking to the back of the alley, which happened to be a dead end, Ahri reached forward and pressed in one of the grey bricks that lined the walls.

With a small click and a thus, a small section of the wall pushed itself inward. Pushing it like a door, Ahri shoved the brick wall inward till the two stood face to face with a dark tunnel. Making sure that Kaldur was in, Ahri turned around and pushed the door closed, shoving it to make sure that it clicked shut.

It was pitch black. "Ahri, I can't see you."

Reach out, Kaldur felt a hand grip his, and heard a loud snap. Blinking, Kaldur watched the hallway light up from the three flames that Ahri had summoned. With a slight tug, Kaldur followed Ahri through the blue lit cavern as they made their way through the dampness that hugged his body. It was almost a minute, but soon, Kaldur could see a yellow glow from the other end of the pathway, and after a turn around the bend, Kaldur and Ahri came face to face with a solid smooth wooden wall that blocked the way; light seeped through the bottom of the crack. Reaching over, Ahri gripped a small lever and pulled.

Another click sounded, and the wooden wall in front of Kaldur swung open, revealing a well-worn study. Walking inside, Kaldur noticed that this room was filled to the brim with books, even ones over the nice fireplace which warmed him to the bones. As the door clicked shut, Kaldur noticed that the wall which had swung out was another wall of books and scrolls that lay in neat rows. In front of him was a large desk, enough of one to make his mother jealous, as it was decorated with older artifacts, labeled in wording he couldn't understand. Each object didn't look like they were from Bilgewater; one was a sword that curved at a perfect half circle embroidered with gems in a solid gold handle, and another looked like a necklace of iron that held a solid red jewel in the center.

"You moved fast, you're here a little early." Came a gruff voice from the corner.

Turning around, Kaldur looked to see an older gentleman holding a book in his hand as he leaned on the shelf he was next to. Wearing a monocle on his left eye, the man was nicely dressed, sporting a collared button down shirt and a feathery vest which pocketed the chain attached to the monocle. His shoes were solid black and looked to have been recently shined, and his loose dress pants were the brown of a newly sawed tree. The man wore a neatly trimmed white beard and mustache with a circlet of hair on the sides of his head that surrounded a neatly prepped bald spot. His skin was a shade darker than his pants and his eyes were a good hazel brown as his gaze looked up to see Kaldur.

"Sarah's not back yet." The man announced as he put the book away on the shelf. "But I am sure when she gets back she will be thrilled to meet the boy you have talked about."

"Thank you, Maven. Can we use the guest room? I need to see what they did to him."

"As much as I would like to say 'yes,' Ahri, you know she wants to see him immediately. He may be a danger to her crew."

"Maven, please. He has been through so much. I know he won't hurt me, let me at least try."

Maven made a weary sigh before he waved his hand. "Alright. I will notify you when she arrives."

"Thank you." Ahri said, and tugged once more at Kaldur's hand to move him through the main door.

As she took him upstairs, Kaldur looked at the immaculate house which kept reminding him of his Grandfathers old villa when he used to visit. Decorated with the heads of many hunted animals, some he recognized and some he didn't, and aligned with all hand carved wooden furniture, the place was quite cozy. The wooden flooring was covered in smooth rugs that lay on the walkways, where the kitchen was stored in a nice little corner near the only window he could see. The upstairs was just as nice, with a small guest room, and a storage room where it looked like hunting equipment and other supplies were stored. The guest bedroom was not nearly as fancy as his room in the tavern, but it was well lit and held its own restroom. With a simple queen bed that was draped in cotton sheets and a comforter, the room contained a simple desk by another window and a small head desk where the lantern sat.

Pulling him into the bathroom, Ahri began to move back and forth trying to get the oval tub into the center.

"Kaldur, I need you to take off your clothes."

Kaldur froze. "What?"

"Don't argue with me, Kaldur. Please, remove your clothes and step into the tub."

"But, then you'll see me naked!" Kaldur protested.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before… or, at least that part. Kaldur, I need you to do this for me. Don't you trust me?"

With those words, Kaldur started to pull off his vest and put it on the chair beside him.

"I'll go get some warm water while you get in the tub. Just promise me you won't go anywhere."

"I promise." Kaldur said without hesitation.

Removing the rest of his clothes, Kaldur wandered into the tub and sat down, flinching at the cold metal which rested upon his skin. It was a few moments before Ahri wandered back in, nearly dropping the bucket of warm water at the sight of him.

"Oh, my god."

Pouring the bucket into the tub, she left and came back three more times before Kaldur was able to soak in the heat. Grabbing a wash cloth from the sink area, Ahri began to dip it into the warm water, gently scrapping it across his back as Kaldur leaned forward.

"What did he do to you." She whispered, mostly to herself, as she continued to observe his body. While his back was mostly scarred form his time with the whip, His chest, arms, and legs were scarred with neat incisions from the heated metal he had to endure. Some were even small circles from chunks of flesh being removed from his person.

Kaldur reveled in this moment as he closed his eyes and felt the gentle touch of Ahri's hand over his scars, and found that he was wishing this feeling could last forever.

"Where is he?" came a loud voice from downstairs as the door below slammed open.

Ahri made a loud sigh of frustration as she moved to cover the door. There were a series of loud footsteps that filled the room, many of them striking the stairs before a black dressed Miss Fortune wandered into view.

Kaldur couldn't stop himself as he summoned his sword and dove out of the tub, diving at her only to find a stern Ahri standing in front of him.

"Kaldur, get back in the tub." She ordered.

"I told you to let me see him first, Ahri." Miss Fortune remarked sternly.

Ahri barely looked at her but put a fake smile on her face. "And who was it that said he needed treatment?"

"He may be broken, but I need to see how bad."

"Ahri!" Kaldur called out. "That is my masters enemy, she is the one that held you, let me save you!"

Ahri's face made a saddened expression. "Kaldur, I am safe. She can't hurt me. Please, just get back in the tub."

"But…" Kaldur began.

"Don't you trust me?" She said.

Kaldur paused for a moment, then backed up into the tub, removing his magic hold on his sword.

"It's worse than I thought." Commented Miss Fortune.

Ahri spun around to look at her, her face turned away from Kaldur to hide the tears. "Why that phrase?"

"Because it was the only one that could trigger him. If we could fix him than that phrase will only affect him as much as he lets it."

"Just… give us a few minutes. He will be down in a bit."

Miss Fortune looked at Ahri, her face changing from anger to sympathy in a blink. "Make it quick."

Closing the door, Ahri moved behind Kaldur and continued what she was doing before. After a moment, Kaldur was surprised when Ahri's arms came around him and gripped him in a comforting hug; all the while the sound of sobbing filled the room.

"What are you crying for?" Kaldur asked.

"Nothing, Kaldur, nothing."

After a few minutes of the comfort, Ahri finished cleaning him and gave him a new pair of clothes; leading him downstairs to where Miss Fortune sat in the largest chair, her boots propped up on the center table. Around her were five other men dressed in black captains coats, and Maven who was reading a book near the center.

"Sit him down across from me. I need to ask him a few questions."

Letting Kaldur sit down in the smaller chair on the other side, Ahri stood behind him and put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving.

Leaning forward, Sarah began.

"Who do you serve?"

"My master."

"Who is your master?"

"Gangplank."

"What is your promise?"

Kaldur wasn't entirely sure what this question meant, but for some reason he had an answer to it. "To save Ahri."

"Who are you?"

"My master's servant."

"Let me rephrase, what is your name?"

"Name?" Kaldur responded.

"What does your master call you?"

"Boy, or sometimes son if he is in a good mood."

"What do your companions call you?"

"Kaldur."

Miss Fortune leaned back with a disappointed smile on her face, her ginger features scrunching up.

"It's far worse than I thought."

"What do mean?" Ahri asked. "What did he do to him?"

"There are many methods to break someone." Miss Fortune explained. "Normally it has to do with varying torture methods, but in cases where the man is harder to break than people refer to magic. In this case, Gangplank tortured him till he was too tired to resist, than embedded his will into a healing spell, letting Kaldur believe that his master was his saving grace."

"How?" Ahri questioned.

"You need three conditions for this method to work. First, the target can't resist, he has to be so exhausted that he can't even lift a finger. Second, the man has to have something he desires that you can use as a catalyst, something he will define as a promise within his own head. Doc here explained it to me the last time this happened. And finally, the person who tortured him has to be the master, otherwise it doesn't stick."

"Then how do we reverse it?" Ahri asked.

"You don't." Fortune stated, starring straight at Ahri.

Ahri took in a sharp breath. "Then what do we do?" she asked, her teeth grating in a snarl.

"You look after him. Hopefully get him far enough away and hope that, over time, his originally personality is still in there somewhere."

Maven moved up to the table, placing the book down on the table.

"That's not entirely true." He stated.

"What?" Fortune asked in irritation. "You said it couldn't be done for my man last time, what's changed?"

"It couldn't be done last time because there was nothing of his personality left. From your description of Kaldur on your last encounter it seems that there may be something remaining."

"Like what?" Fortune interjected.

"Ahri, would you be a dear and tell us what Kaldur is like?"

Ahri raised an eyebrow but continued non-the less. "He is kind, tries to do what he can for people despite seeing himself as weak. He refuses to kill anyone unless he absolutely has too, and never gives up no matter what happens."

"I see. Now, Sarah, aside from the men who were lost in the explosion, how many of Crows men did you see without wounds but were unconscious?"

"Quite a few, but …" Fortunes eyes widened in understanding.

"Exactly. I haven't seen Kaldur while he was in Gangplanks lair, but just from that information alone, I can surmise that parts of him are still left there."

"Does this mean you can cure him?" Ahri asked, hope brimming in her eyes.

"Not sure, but I can do something. We just need to trigger that part of him." Moving back into his study, the doctor brought back with him two books, a vial of some yellow powder, a blue gem, and a gun. Placing the books and the pistol on the table, the doctor uncorked the vial and dabbed some of the yellow powder onto his hand.

"Kaldur, young man, I need you to sniff this through your nose."

Kaldur jerked in shock. "Why?"

"It is good for you, trust me."

"Yeah, no way."

"Hold him." Fortune ordered, and her men moved around Kaldur to pin him to the chair as Maven shoved his hand on Kaldur's nose; holding his mouth closed. Struggling to get free Kaldur didn't realize that he had already breathed in some of the powder when it already started to affect him. After a moment, his head began to swim, letting mind wander to many thoughts he didn't know he had. The effect lasted for only a moment, but soon his vision cleared and he became cognizant of what was around him.

"Did it do anything?" Fortune asked, watching with a pistol of her own on her lap.

"Nothing yet." The Doc answered, pushing the crystal into Kaldur's open palm. "This is going to take some time, and I am not sure if it is going to work. Every day we need to give him this, all the while the crystal needs to stay on his person. Would you mind strapping that down for me dear? In order to fix his mind, we need to destroy it once more."

"What!?" Ahri exclaimed.

"It must be done, but so long as a part of him remains, we can bring him back. It is going to be painful, but you are going to have to watch him as we do this."

Ahri nodded reluctantly and turned back to Kaldur who was struggling on the chair from the men who held his hand in place.

For the next few days, Kaldur was unsure as to what was going on around him. With guards posted at every entrance, Kaldur was only allowed to wander in the common areas and the guest room, where Ahri constantly watched over him; not that he minded the company from his friend. His only regret was that he had to share the same abode with a woman who was his master's enemy, and while he wasn't entirely confident he could take her out, his mind kept telling him that is was the right thing.

"Take my power." Called the empty void in his head. "You can use it to kill her."

"I won't kill her!" Kaldur yelled at the air, Ahri gone downstairs to get some food. "I will bring her to my master."

It had been a long time since the one of the voices came to him, and now that he was taking this yellow powder, it seemed like they couldn't leave him alone; or at least all but the girl.

"You can't come in here and tell me what to do! Only my master can do that."

"You could be your own master." The void bribed. "You are different not, Kaldur, it is in your nature to grab power."

"What is with you lately?! Before you were smooth and tried to coax me by what I wanted, now you're just blunt."

"I am…"

"My subconsciousness, I know."

"Care to guess what that means?" Came the barbarians voice.

"It means something is wrong with me."

"Bingo! Ten points to the man with the messed-up head!" It laughed.

"I said GO AWAY!" Kaldur yelled, standing up just in time to see Ahri walk through the bedroom door.

"The voices again?" She commented, putting down the plate of sausage and eggs on the end table.

"They keep talking to me, but their different… I'm different."

Ahri sat him down on the bed and placed herself next to him, pulling out the container of yellow powder. Upon seeing it, Kaldur scooted away and placed his hands in front of himself defensively.

"I don't want to take anymore." He whined.

"You have to, Kaldur. It will make you better." Ahri cooed, pushing a handful near him.

"I can't! Master won't like it!" He yelled, shoving her hand away from him and tossing the powder across the floor.

Ahri looked at the floor, and made a deep sigh, one littered with sadness. "Don't…" She swallowed and breathed again, looking straight into Kaldur's eyes. "Don't you trust me?"

The voice was broken, but Kaldur responded instantly by holding out his hand. Placing what was left in the vial onto his hand, Ahri watched as Kaldur sniffed it willingly.

The scream was what came first, and Ahri had to cover her ears from the noise, folding them flat across her head. Clutching his brain, Kaldur shook back and forth on the bed as he lay on his side, crouched in the fetal position.

"It hurts! It hurts! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!" He screamed.

"PLEASE STOP! NO MORE!"

Ahri shook and lay atop him, tears streaming down her face as she hugged him tight, and kept him close.

"Don't worry." She confided gently, breaking her words through her sobs. "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. From now on, I will never leave your side, I will help you get home, I promise."

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Every event in the household happened like this for as long as Kaldur took the medicine. Whenever something reminded him, or he was forced to take the powder, his mind felt like it would explode with all of the pain he remembered. When the final day arrived that Maven predicted, Kaldur, and everyone else, were exhausted beyond belief. Lounging in the chair on the far end of the table, Kaldur sat with nothing on his mind, but the sweet sensation of bliss that comes after a day of mental fatigue. Around the table sat most of the men, Miss Fortune, Maven, and Ahri as they waited for the Doctor to gather his things.

"Can we finally get this over with?" One of the men asked in irritation. "That man will drive me to the Bearded Lady himself if I have to hear that scream once more.

Miss Fortune was just about to comment about the man's idiocy when the door slammed open and in walked a large man covered in tattoos and sporting a hairy head of raven hair.

"What did I miss?" The man commented, as he gently closed the door.

"Grend!" Ahri greeted excitedly as she moved over to give him a hug.

"Sorry I couldn't be here when you got him back." He apologized. "I had to mop up the last of Gangplanks crew that kept trying to sniff out your trail."

"Took you long enough." Miss Fortune remarked, laying her boots on the table. "It's been four days of this racket and he's just now calmed down."

Grend looked at her confused. "Ok, now I really want to know what I missed."

Ahri smiled. "I'll tell you later, for now just pray that this works."

With a small nod from Sarah, Maven moved to Kaldur and gave him one more dose of the powder to the nose before he placed his hand on the gem and began to chant. As the chant continued, Kaldur observed a small flash, and he looked up to see Gangplank standing before him. With his vision a little blurry, and his mind in a foggy haze, Kaldur reached forward to feel.

"Master?"

"Boy." Came Gangplanks voice. "Take the gun."

Kaldur wasn't sure what was going on, but he was quite sure that whatever his master said was good, and did as he was told reaching for the single flintlock pistol that lay on the table.

"Good. Now, point that gun at this man and shoot."

Kaldur watched as the finger of Gangplank pointed to one of the men dressed in black. Without hesitation, Kaldur lifted the pistol up towards the man and watched as he, and those like him, raised their pistols in defense.

"What are you…?" Came a females voice.

"Wait." Gangplank responded, turning his head back to Kaldur. "Kill him, boy. Kill this man."

Frozen, Kaldur couldn't even put his finger on the trigger. "Master, I can't."

"You can't, or you won't?" Asked Gangplank.

"I … can't."

"Do as I say, boy!" He yelled.

"I can't master. He won't let me!" Kaldur blurted.

"Who won't let you, boy?"

"Kaldur, the voices, everyone won't let me!"

Gangplank smiled. "And who is Kaldur?"

Kaldur paused for a moment, then breathed in realization. "I am Kaldur."

Looking at the pistol, and then at the man he was going to shoot, Kaldur threw down the gun in shock.

"I don't kill people." He commented to himself. "I don't do this. I'm … I'm trying to do something, but I can't remember."

Looking up at Ahri, Kaldur's eyes widened. "I am trying to get home, I'm trying to get to Piltover, with Ahri."

With a final click in his mind, Kaldur put the last piece into place. "I protect people, I don't kill them. That is who Kaldur is. That is who I am."

Almost as if the entirety of his life had been played like a movie, Kaldur began to remember everything that had happened to him over the past many months. From his arrival in Ionia to his capture on the ships, and the torture he had experienced at the hands of Gangplank, he remembered it all. Stumbling back into the chair, where he realized he was standing, Kaldur finally looked at the room as if everything he was looking at before had been through shattered glass; and now he saw everything for what it actually was.

Everyone was standing and staring at him. Miss Fortune, wide mouthed, was far more of a beauty than Kaldur had initially thought, and he was relieved that none of his thoughts reverted to taking his wrath out on a woman he knew nothing about.

Looking down at his hand, he clenched it shut, and hung his head low.

"What have I done?" He asked, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

"Things you could not control." The doctor answered.

"I hurt so many people, embraced a madman, and all in the name of my only friend in this entire world."

On the verge of tears, Kaldur didn't dare look up; his only comfort was Ahri's hand on his shoulder as she moved over to him.

"I don't blame you, kid." Answered Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, and bringing his head up once more to face Miss Fortune, he shut away the tears and looked straight at her, anger lining his eyes.

"You're Sarah Fortune, correct?"

Taking a small nod, and taking her hat off, she made a small smile. "Pleasure to finally meet the real you. Kaldur… have a sire name?"

"Tarron."

"Kaldur Tarron. Good name. And now that all this sickening business is behind us; Ahri, we had a deal."

Removing herself from behind him, Ahri walked over to Fortune and made a small nod. "I will help you reach the top."

"Good. By the time this month is over, we should have Gangplank removed and this Isle…"

"No." Kaldur interrupted.

"Sorry?"

"No, she will not help you any further." Kaldur began. "For what I can assume as more than two months I have been on this island in the service to someone. During that time, I am assuming she has helped you plenty in your conquest of whatever remains of this broken city. In return you made a deal with her that if she helped you, you would help her get me back. Am I getting warm?"

Fortune whistled. "Didn't tell me he was also smart."

"Kaldur, you need rest." Maven reacted. "These last few days have drained you, why don't you …."

"NO!" Kaldur interrupted, shaking his head. "We are getting off this Island, and going to Piltover. I am not going without my friend; and neither you, nor Gangplank, nor ANYONE, is going to stop me."

"Gutsy too." Fortune commented. "Tell you what, kid…"

"Kaldur." He corrected. "Your, what, in your mid-twenties, early thirties? I am nearly your age if not older, so call me by my damn name. Had enough of being called a child these last few weeks."

"Kaldur." Fortune adjusted. "I like you, in normal circumstances I would hire you to be on my crew, but I can see that that is a shot in the dark. You are right, technically Ahri has fulfilled her side of the bargain, but that doesn't mean you two can find a ship to take you out of here without some help."

"What are you proposing?"

"I want you and Ahri to help me on one last job. You do that, I will guarantee a ship and safe passage to Piltover. Do we have a deal?"

Kaldur thought for a moment. "What's the catch?"

"It's dangerous."

"I can live with that, I mean: is this one of those situations seafarers do where by accepting the deal on the first go it means I am going to try and kill you?"

Sarah smiled. "Now I really like you; but no, this isn't. I know you're too honest of a guy, plus you're with Ahri, to try and screw me over. I mean, you just got your head fixed not five minutes ago, I would doubt that an outsider like yourself thinks that way."

Kaldur paused, then held his hand out to shake hers. "Deal."

With a small smirk, Sarah Fortune gripped his hand and shook.

"So that's how you do it." Ahri commented.

Kaldur looked at her and then laughed at the recollection of when they first met. "How is it that you can remember different languages, and other customs, but this singular one evaded you?"

Ahri just smiled once more, reveling in the fact that her friend was back.

"It's a secret."

Kaldur shrugged. "I can live with that for now." Turning to Miss Fortune he continued.

"Now, what's next?"


	13. Trust and Bonds

Chapter 12: Trust and Bonds

The afternoon felt cold. Despite the warmth of the sun shinning into the deep chasm that stretched through Bilgewaters narrow reaches, Kaldur didn't notice it as he watched the Crimson Tavern from across the way, keeping his body hidden in the shadows. In all his time there Kaldur had never once bothered to learn the name of the housing that held him captive, and now that he was here, he still didn't care. From across the deep drop that fell into the water, Kaldur lay atop a rough entanglement of netting and wooden planks where he was buried in between two building walls that kept the indent he resided well hidden from view. Despite the constant moving bodies that passed in front of him, it didn't perturb him from is view.

"How does it look?"

"Aside from the guards? Not a thing." Kaldur answered, turning to Ahri.

Laying next to him, Ahri was watched the nearer surroundings, making sure that nothing snuck up on them. Wearing a leather parasol, a rough brown sailors coat and a hat, Ahri looked miserable as the clothing kept making her itch. Despite her want to don her normal garb, Miss Fortune had made her wear something that wouldn't attract attention, something that would hide her tails and keep her ears from being seen.

"Three days and he has still not revealed himself?"

"While I doubt that he expects me to have returned to my former self, I still think that the shootout you guys had on the bridge made him a little paranoid. According to Dian, revealing himself to still be alive this early was a bad idea."

"Who is this, Dian?" Ahri asked, a slight amount of irritation lining her voice.

"Lady with the crossbow."

"The one cared for by the big man when you were at the Warehouse?"

"That's the one. Think he has a thing for her but I wasn't really focused on that at the time."

"I would gather."

Looking once more through the scope, Kaldur made a small groan. "I would burn down the place myself, but the bastard would probably find a way out, I was still a little too hazed to explore the entire place. And I bet that he has more buildings and hideouts I didn't see."

"I thought you never wished to kill anyone?"

"Yeah, sure. I just am a little irritated at the situation in general."

"A little?" Chided Ahri.

Kaldur gave her an annoyed look before he turned back to the looking glass. "Ok, majorly pissed."

Noticing movement near the base of the posts where the smugglers entrance was hidden, Kaldur perked.

"Movement on the bottom, make sure Grend knows."

Ahri, pulled out a small mirror from inside her cloak and pointed it just to the upper right of her position, making sure to catch the light just right that it would strike the bell which was determined to be the signal point. After a few moments, the return signal came back on the same bell and it told that the message was received.

Grend, who had been under Miss Fortunes service the entire time Kaldur was in Gangplanks, had felt it was his fault for what had happened and took it upon himself to aid in any way he could. Previously a Jagged Hook member back in the day when Gangplank was still in power, Grend had chosen to leave the gang wars behind, and instead lead his own crew by the sweat of their brow. After the events which lead Kaldur to his capture, he found that he became responsible for Ahri's wellbeing, and thus took her to see Fortune for help. During the days when Kaldur was becoming himself once more, Grend finally showed himself and revealed what he was up to and where he had been. To Grends surprise, Kaldur did not blame him at all, and instead thanked him for what he had done; so long as he kept the chains far away. Grend agreed, and personally vowed to be the one to take them to Piltover when all this business was over with.

Kaldur turned his attention to the movement by the smugglers entrance, making sure to look for familiar faces. In the three days since they had begun watching the place, there was no movement from the Jagged Hooks, whether here or anywhere else in Bilgewater.

"It looks like a supply drop."

Watching the few men manage the cart, he took a small breath as the cover was removed and six large crates came into view, each bearing a red emblem that looked like a helmet with two horns atop it and the center containing a vented mask. Kaldur's mind came into focus as he remembered those crates from the Noxian barge he had worked at not too long prior, and the items that were in them. Keeping his gaze on the lead man, Kaldur watched as he moved towards the entrance and disappeared behind the wooden pillars. After a few moments, the man came back followed by a red headed brute of a man.

"That's odd."

"What is?"

"I've never seen Hagrif by himself before, let alone managing goods. Normally it's Mosh that does this, he likes to tinker with whatever they find."

"Was not he the man the helped, Dian, as you called her?"

"Yeah." He acknowledged, keeping an eye on the group. "Their practically inseparable."

Instinctively Kaldur removed his site from the telescope and turned his gaze around at the buildings behind him. Even though there were many places to hide, this place was best because none could sneak up on them as they watched, but that didn't mean there couldn't be gaps.

"What is it?" Ahri asked, turning around.

"With Dian being missing, I had this odd feeling that she was watching us. Your eyes are better than mine, hearing too; do you sense anything?"

Ahri's eyes glowed slightly brighter for a moment as her pupils dilated, and her ears twitched for a moment trying to find something.

"My senses can't feel anything, and there are too many people in the buildings for my magic to identify the souls around us."

"Worth a shot. Just hope she's not there to shoot at us." Pausing for a moment, Kaldur knocked on the wood below him.

"What was that for?" Ahri asked.

"Just a custom from my people; however much I am not superstitious, I felt it was appropriate."

Ahri shook her head at his ridiculousness and continued to observe their surroundings. Kaldur paused and turned to look at Ahri, eyebrow raised. "It may just be me, but you seem quite chatty today. Normally you just quip at my comments, and then watch me like a hawk. What's up?"

Ahri squinted her eyes in confusion.

"It means: Is there something in your crazy emotional state that has changed as of today that you would care to share with the class?"

"Class?" Ahri asked, still confused.

Kaldur buried his head in his arms and groaned. "Never mind. Not only are you acting odd, I seem to be hitting all the terms you still haven't learned."

Ahri still looked confused. Taking that as his cue to shut up, Kaldur returned his attention to the ensuing load of crates being transferred into the building. For the next few minutes the transfer was all he could focus on, and when Hagrif and the small band disappeared into the smugglers entrance, it was all he could think about for the next few hours.

With the sun set, and their shift over, Kaldur resigned to the fact that nothing else was going to happen. While it was a good sign that the building was still in use, it didn't validate anything about Gangplanks whereabouts, and nothing to stifle Kaldur's irritation.

"I swear." Kaldur complained as they made their way through the ensuing crowd of people. "laying in that position for more than a couple of hours kills my back."

"You're young. It is also nothing compared to what you have endured."

Kaldur's face went a little dark at the comment, but played it off anyway. "Don't remind me. You know, you would think that going through something like that would make me more tolerant of discomforts."

"You are more tolerant, but you act as not in order to portray that nothing in you has changed." Came a hushed gruff male voice.

Ahri and Kaldur turned their attention to the small shop on their left and were surprised to see Doctor Maven sitting on a little stool eating a squid tentacle on a stick and reading a book in Ionian lettering.

"No real offense intended, just an observation. Care for a snack? I have two more."

Maven, as Kaldur had learned, was an odd man of many small talents. And while he was kind, in his own way, he did have a tendency to dig into people's personalities without any restraint.

"None taken, and I am starving." Kaldur said. Grabbing one of the fillets and chomping it down.

"What an unexpected visit Maven." Ahri greeted with a sly smile, her tail swinging slowly under her cloak at the smell of the food in her hand.

"I felt the need to get out of the house. Brought a book for comfort."

"Don't you always."

Lowering his voice even more, Maven kept his gaze on his book. "Take the southern entrance this time. Sarah believes that someone may be watching where you go and that is the safest route."

Ahri nodded. "Must be a good read. I prefer poetry myself."

"To each their own, young one, to each their own."

After sending their farewells, Kaldur and Ahri made their way through the crowd and slipped through a narrow alley that was covered in the previous days rain on their way to the southern end of this district. After a few bends, and Ahri making sure that no one could follow them, they disappeared into the seediest entrance Kaldur had ever seen.

Covered in turbulent fake vines, and a sign described by Ahri as 'The Ivy Pit' in traditional Bilgewater, the door here led to a red district establishment that Kaldur had only wished he never entered. Everything here was shown in full view, and he found that his gaze kept falling to the floor whenever he heard a moan. Taking his hand, Ahri quickly led him through the maze of bodies that were either strewn on the floor or active, until they reached their exit.

When the door closed, Kaldur shook his head. "Why is it that I keep ending up in places like that?"

"Embarrassed?" Ahri teased.

"Yes, but more for the fact that it's so… open."

Ahri laughed. "Be warned, the world has far more where that came from."

"Sure it does." Kaldur commented sarcastically. "And you would know about all this, how?"

"I have my ways."

Kaldur shuddered. "I am already regretting that I asked."

With another giggle, Ahri opened a series of doors that lead them out to the front entrance of Maven's house. While he was a little apprehensive about staying at the kind Doctor's house, Sarah had insisted it was the safest place that wouldn't be too damaging to her crew if it were raided. Begrudgingly, Kaldur accepted and slept on the floor in the main room while Ahri stayed in the guest room.

Entering the door, Kaldur was greeted by a smiling Grend in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled like tacos.

"Welcome back ya' two. You're a little late, but I can't fault a romantic walk in the streets."

"Grend, it's good to see you, stop it." Kaldur chided.

Grend made a hearty chuckle. "Food will be ready in a bit. Get yourselves some rest, pretty sure Fortune'll arrive any time."

"Couldn't miss your cooking huh?"

"First day, and she keeps comin' back for more."

Kaldur laughed, but stopped the moment his thoughts went back to the crewmates he left in Gangplanks band. Sitting down he looked at the table with all the books strewn about them as Ahri made her way upstairs to get cleaned up and out of her uncomfortable clothes.

"How can good men work for bad people?"

Grend shrugged. "Circumstances of their lives. Some people can't live without a little help, and when they get it, they're loyal to the bitter end."

Kaldur made a sigh. "Sad part is, you probably would have gotten along with Hagrif."

"Knew 'im." Grend started, causing Kaldur to spin around. "Man's as dumb as a plank o' wood, but he'd stick by your side through thick and thin. Stronger than me, and sure as hell a good shot with that hook of his. We were both harpooners on the Desolate, it was that Dian character that convinced us to join."

"What happened?" Kaldur asked, his curiosity officially peaked.

"Gangplank fell. I didn't much like him, and when I saw my chance I left, trying to make a livin' on my own. Hagrif, on the other hand, was bonded to that woman, wherever she went, he followed; and she was very much loyal to the ol' king."

Kaldur laughed. "I knew they had a thing."

"Not really. He may be smitten with her, but she just holds him as a loyal dog at her heals."

"She's not that cruel to him, is she?"

"Not to those she considers family. Out of all the people in the Hooks, she was the very soul of loyalty and trust, nice even to bastards who joined up. To others though, whooo, she could skin them alive and not feel a thing."

"Sound like Dian. Though I only saw it once." Kaldur remarked.

"Well, just make sure she don't find out you went rogue. She follows in that man's footsteps a little too closely."

"Pretty sure Gangplank's was still worse."

"That man wanted to use you as a tool. He made sure not to kill the important bits, she won't care." Grend pointed out, slicing a fish in half almost on point.

Kaldur grimaced as a memory he would rather have forgotten resurfaced. Shaking his head, and forcing his mind to go to happier thoughts, he was surprised as an intriguing thought came to light. "Come to think of it, I seem to remember all of the methods he used. How is it I haven't blocked any of it out, mentally I mean?"

"Got no clue." Grend shrugged, cutting some vegetable into the pot. "Just be glad you have them. Men have gone mad from those thoughts. You may just be broken in other area's and haven't run into them yet."

"Great." Kaldur sneered with sarcasm, raising his arms into the air. "Just remind me how I will never be the same again."

"You asked."

"It's most likely from the powder you had to take." Ahri commented as she walked back down the stairs, hair let down and her shoes removed so she could walk in bare feet.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it?" Kaldur asked, a little peeved at the fact that no one would tell him the only part of this excursion he didn't remember.

"You were broken, Kaldur, we had to make it worse to make it better. There were times …" Ahri froze mid-sentence as she sat in the chair across from him.

Reaching over, Kaldur lay his hand on hers. "Don't worry about it, I'll stop pestering." Despite his intent curiosity about the four days that he missed, Kaldur learned enough that it seemed more painful for everyone else to remember than for him to. One day he might learn about it, but for now Kaldur felt it was just enough to know that he was better.

"When's dinner?" He asked.

Grend chuckled once more. "When it happens. Is there somethin' wrong with the two of you? Not meanin' to pry, but even Kaldur ain't normally this chatty, and you seem to be far chipper than usual little miss."

Kaldur spastically shook his hands. "That's what I asked her earlier, but she dodged the question! I don't know about you, but I feel like the drugs finally wore off so that might be _my_ reason, but I got nothing on her."

Ahri reached over to the glass of water that was set out for her and Kaldur before they arrived, and took a sip. "No particular reason, just feeling well."

Kaldur and Grend shared glances of suspicion, forcing Grend to stop his stirring for a brief second.

"I'll take what I can get." Grend grumbled.

Kaldur, on the other hand was determined to find out what, but before he could manage to ask, the door opened and in walked both Maven and Sarah. Removing her coat, Miss Fortune, placed it atop the rack that Maven had recently put in and topped it off with her hat. She was wearing her white and golden suit this time, with both her pistols resting gently by her side. Stepping over to the ends of the tables, both of them sat down and leaned in to the table, making sure that they were comfortable.

"So." Sarah began, breaking the silence of their entrance. "Where's Mike and Tirion?"

"On their round's Miss." Grend answered. "Mike insisted that they eat outside to keep watch when they returned. We won't be seein' them at the table tonight."

"Too bad." Fortune commented, not a single hint of regret lined her voice. "More for me then. What's on tonight's menu?"

"Calumn stew with a side a' Targonian Ibik breast."

"Ibik? Where in the world did you get that?" Fortune asked, turning around to watch Grend as he stirred the pot.

"Ask Doc. He brought me to the trader."

"Of course, he did."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "What is an Ibik?"

"An herbivore from Mount Targon, on the far side of Shurima. It's rare to get their milk, much less the meat. This man sold it for a steal not knowing what he had. When I finally bought it, the man was so surprised by the info I gave him he nearly stabbed me to get it back."

"Good thing I was there. Doc would have been skewered like a fish on a hook." Grend remarked.

Kaldur prompted the question to his own mind about why talking about death as a casual conversation was a good idea, but decided against putting it out there and instead focused on the empty bowl in front of him while his stomach growled. It didn't take much longer for that hunger to be satisfied when Grend brought the pot around and began to pour and place individual slices of roasted meat on the side. Sitting down himself, the crew began to dig in. Even though he was hungry, Kaldur couldn't help but smile as he watched the table eat, reminiscing about times in his own world when his family would sit down at the table for a group meal. Sinking in the good feeling, Kaldur dove into the meal himself, marveling at how good it was.

The conversations livened up as the meal progressed, and while Kaldur was still unsure about half of what they were talking about, he was quite happy that it felt like a normal day away from the chaos he knew was to occur in the days ahead. Finishing his bowl, Kaldur lay back and took a deep breath in relaxation.

"That was amazing Grend, thanks for the meal."

"You can thank me by helpin' me clean it." Grend remarked.

Kaldur shrugged and got up to help clear off the table as people finished their meal.

"I wouldn't worry about that tonight, Kaldur." Miss Fortune said, a slightly darker tone coming from her voice.

"Sorry?"

"In about five minutes someone is going to come break down the door."

The room froze.

"And you tell us this NOW!?" yelled Kaldur, dropping the bowls in his hands and backing up towards the wall.

Just like a bee hive, the crew prepped themselves for a fight. Ahri quickly leaping upstairs to grab her shoes, while Miss Fortune and Grend shoved the table against the door to brace it shut. Maven, in all his wonder, disappeared into his study while the rest braced themselves.

"Two minutes." Fortune called as she found cover behind the wall of chairs they began to set up.

"Still confused about how you know this." Kaldur commented with irritation lining his voice.

"Didn't till Grend said Mike wouldn't join us for dinner. He never skips on good food."

Kaldur shut his mouth at the retort he had planned, and instead focused on the door as he waited for the inevitable rush of gunfire.

"Alright you two, this way." Came Maven's voice from his study as Ahri came running downstairs.

Looking over, Kaldur noticed that he was dressed in rough fish skin leather, and holding a couple more cloaks and a lantern. Beckoning towards Kaldur and Ahri once more, the two of them reluctantly followed him into the room as he shut the door.

"Put these on and go through the tunnel." Doc said, handing them the cloaks.

As Kaldur grabbed his, and Ahri hers plus the lantern, he noticed that everything in the study was empty except the shelves and the fire place, which burned bright with the last of the wood.

"So, she knew they were coming at some point." Kaldur observed.

"We've been expecting it for a while." Maven explained. "Just hoped it would have been later. No worries, the job is still on, just need a change of scenery is all. Now, hurry along."

Ushering them into the dark cavern, Maven followed them through and closed the secret latch just in time for Kaldur to hear the ricochet of bullets entering into wood, and the giant hand guns from Miss Fortune going off.

"Nailed it!" She shouted, through the walls.

Following the lantern, Ahri, Kaldur, and Maven meandered till they exited the other side into the rotten alley of fish guts and putrid stench. Taking a left, the group fell single file into the tight spaces and weaved through the shadows till they came across the first crowd of people that were busy they could find. Falling in behind them, Kaldur rushed to keep his head down and his body covered as they moved towards the upper docks which led to the mid tear houses.

Not wanting to look up, Kaldur followed Ahri's tail as a sign of where they were going till the group made a quick stop and he looked up, beholding the most beautiful view of the city he had seen in a while. As the lights of the individual houses reflected in the smooth waters of what he could only assume was a small lake, the buildings themselves were only connected to the stone around them by six to seven bridges and a large ship that looked to have been built in the lake itself. While the sea was around the alcove, it was separated by a large drop of nearly sixty feat where the lake rested atop it. As Kaldur followed his two companions downward, he noticed that most of the passageways to this place were stone steps that spiraled along the outer edges, only interconnected by some minor houses that imbedded themselves into the rock itself.

It took a little for them to reach the homey selection of floating abodes, but once they did, the entire place was far livelier than any avenue he had seen in the Serpent Isles.

"This place looks not as dead as I would have expected." Kaldur observed, watching a few kids run around chasing a ball.

"It was not always like that." The Doc commented. "When Sarah got her hands on it in a deal that fell through, this was where most of the ruffians would house themselves if they needed a place to escape."

"Changed it around?" Ahri asked, her ears still twitching as she scanned the area.

"Not out of the kindness of her heart, I can guarantee you. It worked out that she needed a new staging ground for her takeover of the city, and this happened to be the best. The welfare of the individuals is due to her success."

Burning with other questions, Kaldur decided it best to save them for later and follow the doctor to their new meeting place. With people everywhere it was hard for Kaldur to determine where everything was, which was most likely a reason for why this place made a good hideout.

It didn't take long to reach their new hiding spot, but as soon as Kaldur took one look at it he wondered why it was even a hideout in the first place. Nearly ten feet wide, the crew stood in front of a flat wall of rotten wood that contained a musty window and a singular door and no visible roof. Opening the door, Kaldur wandered into a single room that had caved in from previous storms or lack of use. Turning to Maven with a look of disgust, the older gentleman shrugged and began to remove some of the debris as he uncovered a small trap door.

"Wait till you get inside." He remarked, a sly smile on his face.

Following him down below, Kaldur almost gaged as the smell of rot, fungus, and feces littered the room. Taking the lantern and placing it on a counter, Kaldur was surprised to see a storage room a little bigger than the broken down building that lay wrecked above them. With a cot, a few shelves of broken vials and a small storage chest, Kaldur began to recognize it as an underground medical room.

"This place is …. I can't think of anything nice to say, it's just crap."

Maven chuckled. "It was meant as a simple hideaway for important targets. She has far more voluptuous places, just not this one."

"Well that's just great. Ahri how …" Turning around, Kaldur found Ahri to be leaning over, her face a little green. Coming over to her, he braced her from falling.

"Those Fox-like senses getting the better of you?" He joked.

She gave him a murderous look, but stopped the moment her stomach heaved. Taking a bucket that sat in the corner, Maven sat her down on the bed and put that in between her legs on the floor as she sat.

"Use that dear if you feel the need. I couldn't imagine what your nose must be going through."

Sitting next to her, Kaldur began to rub her back as she leaned over the bucket.

"So, what now?"

"We wait for Sarah. Things were not supposed to move this fast, but it looks as if your job will have to be done soon."

"What?" Kaldur questioned, shocked. "We were supposed to burn the building with him in it, when we knew he was there."

"Only if we had the time. You remember those red hextech crystals you were hauling off one of his ships? The ones with the Noxian labels?"

"… Yeah?"

"We need those destroyed. Sarah would probably care more to use them, but if the old king wants them, it cannot be for a good reason."

Kaldur shook his head. "You realize that most of them may not be in there, right? I only saw a handful of those crates moved to that building."

"While you were incapacitated, we noticed that many trips were made between buildings at that time, and we gathered that the most of the equipment was being stored there. We needed to wait until the last of the shipments arrived, and if we were lucky, catch Gagnplank in the same building." The Doctor explained.

Kaldur shook a little as he kept Ahri from hurling tonight's meal. "You know that I hate being used Doc." He growled. "You were supposed to tell me the whole deal before I accepted."

"You were in a state of recovery." Maven apologized. "We didn't want to trouble you any more than you were capable."

Kaldur stood up, anger seething off him. "I decide what I am capable of! No one tells me what to do! I will not …!" Ahri grabbed his hand as she leaned over.

"Kaldur …"

Looking at her, Kaldur took a deep breath and calmed down; sitting down once more to continue what he was doing. "Next time she makes a deal, I get all of the information beforehand."

"That seems reasonable, provided Sarah is willing to be." Maven responded, a hint of humor in him.

It took much longer than Kaldur had anticipated for Miss Fortune to arrive, and when she did she was far worse for wear than he thought possible of this woman. With a wounded leg and many small scrapes across her side, she limped in the door with a bruised Grend holding her up. Setting her down on the bed that Ahri had now vacated, Grend whispered to Maven and the older doctor ran out of the building.

"What happened?" Ahri asked.

"I got many good shots off, but there were too many to come through unscathed." Sarah answered, exhausted. "We snuck through the exit you two took as the bodies piled up to cover our escape, but they managed to chase us through to the docks. It was some of my men that managed to stop them in their tracks."

"Why didn't you go back to any other of your safe havens?" Kaldur asked.

"I figured I owed you an explanation, plus Maven is the best Doctor I know."

Grend huffed. "Yeah, stubborn woman refused to go anywhere else, no matter what. Not t' mention her need to get a number of them on her own."

"Twenty-three. Still didn't get my last two though."

"Twenty-three!?" Kaldur stood shocked. "How many swarmed that place?"

"As many as I was hoping, but a few days too soon." She answered, making sure to lay down. Sarah, in all her tired ramblings, managed to get the truth out to Kaldur despite his grievances, and even continued as the Doc came back with a medical kit and bandaged her up. As it so happened, the plan was meant to drive out Gangplanks men to find Kaldur; and when they did Kaldur, Ahri, and a few of Fortunes men were to attack the tavern to destroy the red hextech crystals and, hopefully, Gangplank himself.

"Honestly, Fortune. I see no reason, at all, why you couldn't have told me that."

Miss Fortune laughed a bit. "Because I didn't trust that you weren't still under his control."

"I take it my hate for that man wasn't a clear enough hint?

"You could have been lying. I don't trust you even now."

Many choice words came into Kaldur's mind, but instead of saying them he found a nice spot on a barrel and took a seat.

"So, what? You were going to wait till I either came back from a burnt building or I gave him Ahri? You would have lost more men from that, not to mention the amount of men you lost trying to get me. There is something you're not telling me."

Sarah turned to Ahri, who was just getting over the smell in the room, and smiled. "He really is smart."

Facing Kaldur once more she dropped the friendly look and gave him a hard stare. "You were right the first day when you said I was waiting for you to stab me in the back. The cure seemed too … simple, and while we all had to deal with many days of your behavior, in the end you felt all too … human instead of slave."

"Still not answering my question Fortune." Kaldur growled.

"Getting to that. I didn't want to take the chance that you were still under his control, so I made sure you stayed at the Doc's place to make sure you couldn't see my other operations. We moved the valuables out of Doc's house for when it was to be raided, and prepped for the day when the last of the shipments of manufactured crystals were loaded into the building. No worries though, I didn't tell Ahri either."

"Then …" Kaldur began.

"Shut up. I hate long winded explanations, and I am not going to repeat myself." Miss Fortune interrupted.

Kaldur grinded his mouth shut.

"The plan was still going to happen, but one of my men was going to sacrifice himself to get the job done if you didn't come through. Hextech crystals, even the common copies, are very explosive if they shatter. There was only one problem … we had a traitor I didn't see."

Kaldur thought about it for a moment as Sarah took a breather and looked at her injured leg that Maven had just finished patching up. "Mike?"

Sarah nodded as she continued. "I was so busy focusing on one potential threat that I didn't notice that actual threat coming. I've been letting that bastard get to me, which caused this." She gestured to her leg.

Kaldur shook his head. "Ok, but that doesn't explain why you are telling me this. You don't trust me, remember; or has that wound already gotten to you?"

"I need this job done tonight." Sarah explained as she sat up. "And you and Ahri are my only chance of getting to those crystals before he moves them someplace else. With Mike being the traitor, those crystals are probably going to be moved tonight. I have some people who could deal with this but it will take time to get them here, and I have no idea if some of them are even on the island. Not to mention that mounting a full scale assault will cost lives I cannot afford to lose."

"That still doesn't tell me …"

"Because I am choosing to trust you." Sarah interrupted, desperation hinting in the back of her eyes. "Call it a leap of faith, but I have no other options right now."

Kaldur took a deep breath to calm down, and turned his face towards the ground, bracing his forehead with his hands.

"How badly do you need this?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

There was a slight moment of silence before Miss Fortune answered. "I will NOT let him take back this city, but I will not turn into him to do it."

It was all the confirmation Kaldur needed. Facing Miss Fortune with a look of determination, he nodded his head as he looked at the woman who he realized he owed much to.

"What's the plan?"

It took only a few minutes for the group to come up with a solid plan, and when all was said and done it was only to be Kaldur, Ahri, and Grend that made their way back to the Crimson Tavern. Since Fortune's leg was still messed up, she would be unable to follow which meant that Ahri had to be responsible for the explosives.

"I don't want to kill any of them unless I have to." Kaldur remarked as Ahri packed away the containers of gunpowder.

"Remember, just blow up the crystals. How you deal with anyone inside is up to you."

Kaldur sighed as he followed Ahri and Grend through the trapdoor, trying to figure out how he was going to keep his vow when the time came. Keeping their appearances hidden, the trio vanished into the busy streets and past the connecting bridges. Trying to make up for lost time, the crew half ran most of the way on the wooden walkways, each time using smaller alleyways whenever Jagged Hook members were spotted. After a time, the group came into view of the Crimson Tavern, just in time to see a large coalition of Jagged Hook members guarding the smuggling entrance as crates were being dragged out.

Just like they had planned, Grend ran across the bridge to the other side and clambered his way down the side of the cliffside till he arrived at the base of the ground ramp that led up to the underside of the tavern. Taking a rifle from the underside of his coat, Grend took careful aim at one of the guards and opened fire. The gunshot flew into the nearest man, causing him to grip his chest in pain as he fell over the edge into the water below him.

Tossing the rifle aside and uncovering himself, Grend shouted to the stunned gang members as he wailed his giant spear above his head.

"Come get me ya' yellow bellies!" Came the signal as he dove farther down towards the docks.

The hornet's nest had been awoken.

With a slew of shouts and gunfire, gang members poured out of the tavern onto the walkway in pursuit of the man who shot their comrade. With a loud chuckle, Grend led the chasing men away from the area as the mass of thirty men piled out onto the walkways. Disappearing around the corner, it took only a few moments before the silence overtook the previous ruckus, and the tavern was left with only a few men still doing their job in unloading the remaining carts.

Crossing the bridge themselves, Kaldur and Ahri slid quietly to the entrance as the remaining members worked, only one of them looking up as the two came closer.

"Did ya' get the bastard?"

"Not hunting him." Kaldur replied as he moved closer to the unsuspecting man.

"Then help me here with this. If Mosh or the boss don' have these crates by the docks as soon as possible it's gonna be our …"

Kaldur manifested his sword as quick as he could, stabbing the man through the stomach and forcing him to cut his sentence short. The sound of interacting magic was the first thing that cued the other two men to what was going on, and as they saw their partner fall to the floor unconscious, they soon were to join him as Ahri dived atop them, slamming their heads into the floor.

Opening the containers, Kaldur and Ahri put the first few explosives into the piles of humming red hextech crystals and closed the lids. There were only a dozen cases outside the entrance, but as Ahri looked in, it seemed that there were three times that number. Dragging the cases back into the room, Ahri and Kaldur managed to placed them in decent locations so that the entire room would be engulfed in the explosion.

"There is one more crate outside." Kaldur said as he placed another gunpowder bag into one of the containers. "Care to grab it? I'll finish with the explosives, and run the ignition trail outside."

Nodding, Ahri disappeared outside to grab the last container as Kaldur tucked the remaining bags into a few choice containers. Admiring his work, he took the coil of ignition wire out of the backpack and started leading it from one of the open containers to the entrance when some motion caught his eye. Stopping instantly, Kaldur looked around at the area where he thought he saw it and backed up towards the door, forming his sword as the coil kept unraveling from his right hand.

It was only a flash, but just as the cloaked figure emerged from the shadows and Kaldur dropped the coil, he found that he could no longer move as his eyes trained on the motions in the back.

"Kaldur." Came a familiar voice as it stepped out of the shadows. Dressed in his usual drab cloak and pale expression stood Mosh, holding his hextech staff whose gears moved with a slow red hue telling Kaldur that the magic was activated.

"Seems I was right about you." Taking a few steps forward, he pulled out a smooth dirk from under his cloak.

"As much as Gangplank would be disappointed …"

Cutting himself off mid-sentence, Mosh ducked his head just in time to avoid the magical orb that passed over him in one way, then the other. With a quick jut of the rear end of his staff, Mosh sent another wave of energy at the entrance to the supply den, catching his assailant in another trap that prevented anyone from moving. Standing up and brushing the dust off his knees, Mosh moved passed Kaldur's field of vision.

"And, of course, you wouldn't be anywhere without your Vastayan pet."

Kaldur couldn't see Ahri, but he could hear the growl from where she was trapped. Moving back into Kaldur's view, he could see that Mosh was clearly keeping his eyes away from Ahri, almost in fear.

"It is interesting, I have never been able to hold a field this long before. These crystals may be fake, but they do seem to do the trick." Mosh smiled, brandishing the knife in front of himself.

Kaldur struggled to move, but his body didn't respond. No matter how hard he tried, he felt stuck. Despite not being able to move, he could still feel everything; his heart, the wind blowing through the door, even his sword and the magic that flowed through it.

Thinking fast, Kaldur began to build the magic within his right hand, careful not to manifest it till he was ready, and to keep his other sword ready as not to tip off Mosh. He still couldn't construct another weapon, but this was the best he could think of as Mosh spun around and crept towards an immobile Kaldur.

Brandishing the knife, Mosh swept up till he was close enough to strike at Kaldur and raised the knife. Instantly, Kaldur released the magic, creating a shorter and much lest sturdier blade that flew through Mosh's chest, stopping the man in his tracks. The second the blade struck, the magic was released, and both Kaldur and Ahri shook to get rid of the uneasiness that came with paralysis.

Mosh, still conscious, looked at Kaldur in utter shock as the blade clattered to the floor; unable to say a word. Taking one look into Mosh's eyes, Kaldur pulled the smaller blade out and struck with the other one; forcing the beaten man to collapse to the floor.

"Sorry, Mosh. I hope you'll understand one day." Kaldur sighed as he dragged the unconscious heap towards the entrance, stopping only to pick up the spool of wire he had dropped on the floor.

Ahri finished pulling the box in, her eyes glowing in anger at the prospect of getting caught, as Kaldur pulled the remainder of the wire outside and down the loading stone ramp. Dropping Mosh a good distance away from the building, Ahri and Kaldur took cover after they lit the ignition coil.

"I should have killed him." Ahri commented as they both watched the wires flame run the line towards the open smugglers entrance.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow and turned to her. "I was the one who sent you out of the room. If I hadn't, he wouldn't have caught you."

"That is not what I mean." She growled, not bothering to look at him.

Kaldur looked at her confused. "Are you okay? You don't seem … yourself. Actually, you've been odd this entire day."

"It's nothing." Ahri said, her eyes still glowing in anger.

Kaldur turned back just in time to see the flame disappear behind the blockage and duck his head. The explosion was loud, causing Kaldur to reel as the sounds pieced his ears and the shards fell down the gap. At first it was only the small explosions that ignited, but soon after, a terrible backlash echoed into the night as the crystal ruptured, making micro implosions that spread the fire all along the tavern walls and destroyed the buttresses that held the tavern against the wall.

In a sudden realization, Kaldur looked down at the houses below the tavern. "Uh oh."

"What?"

Bolting from his cover and leaving his cloak behind, Kaldur leapt to the lower terrace, landing on all fours and taking a role till he came up running. The ground was hard, but he was feeling very lucky that he didn't land on the wooden pathways lest he fall through. Running through the gathering of people that had come out to witness the collapse of the building, he pushed his way till he came up to the front of the collapse. Looking down the split in the mountain, at the buildings below the falling tavern, Kaldur could see many people running away as fast as they could, tripping over others as they tried to break from their impending deaths.

Reaching out his hands, Kaldur began to build up his power; as much as he could muster. Angling his arms into the air, the power began to manifest around Kaldur's arms as he built it, shaping it to his desire. In his mind he imagined a great shield, one that could stop a blow from anything, and one that could protect anything he wished.

As his thoughts and the will of the magic within him began to coincide, the light blue and turquoise of his power reached out across the gap in the mountain, creating a partially see through floor that covered the section below it.

"Kaldur, what are you doing?" Ahri called as she leapt to where he stood, staring at the field he was creating.

"I messed up. When that building collapses, it will crush everyone underneath it. I can hold it, but I need to wait until they get out of the way."

Ahri looked down, the sudden realization of what was happening dawning on her face. "I will see how many I can remove."

The field had just reached the other side as Kaldur turned to look at her.

"Wait! I have no idea if this is going to hold the building when it hits! If the shield collapses when the building hits, you're going to be in there too!"

Ahri paused for a moment, then made a small smile as she looked at him. "Don't you trust me?"

Kaldur's worried face deteriorated, and he just broke out into a smile and shook his head. With a dash, Ahri leapt back towards the bridge that rooted above her and crossed it; Kaldur's eyes following her till she made it to the other side. Reorienting his attention to the collapsing building, Kaldur watched as the pieces struck his shield, forcing the field to shift its glow with the position of the falling objects.

It didn't seem like much of a difference at first, as the broken and burning pieces of sail wood landed on the field, the pressure felt only mild; but as it built up, Kaldur could feel the weight as his power strained to keep the field. Looking around him, Kaldur could see that many people were not only looking at the shards of tavern that fell, but at Kaldur himself as he held the field in place. Below him, through the gaps that he could see, Kaldur watched as the people ran clear of the fields radius, but no matter how many of them came through, he still couldn't see Ahri.

With a loud groan of bending wood, Kaldur shot his gaze up to see the mass of building that still remained begin to fall, removing itself from the cliffside. Holding his breath, Kaldur prepped himself in a stance he was familiar with and watched.

The tavern crumbled in one motion, falling to the depths of Bilgewaters city structure and striking the shield. The impact exploded into thousands of pieces, some striking the area near Kaldur, and some scattering to the edges of the field, but the whole remained on the platform of magic.

At first, Kaldur felt nothing, but after a few moments, his head began to swim and he dropped to one knee. Forcing his hands to stay up, and his magic to keep flowing, Kaldur wasn't entirely sure how he was still going, only that it was working. With his vision impaired, Kaldur could hardly see if people were out of the way of the debris, he only knew that he had to hold it long enough.

Seconds, turned to minutes and Kaldur's mind began to waiver, his consciousness a mural of differing memories and worries. He was beginning to tire, and the first scream that brought him back to the present came when his shield began shrink, dropping small bits of burning would below him. Kaldur tried to build up his power once more, straining the burning in his brain and the wear on his body.

The shield stopped shrinking, but it didn't grow either.

"Your strength alone cannot keep this up, Kaldur." Came a hollow voice.

Kaldur didn't have the strength to retort, and just focused on keeping the shield up.

"Use the power I give you." The voice from the void invited attempting to coax him.

"The little one is good … enough." Kaldur responded, struggling with the words.

"You can only use so much that it offers before your body gives in. My power can…"

"Shut it!" Kaldur seethed through his teeth, reorienting his attention to the shield that was starting to shrink once more.

He wasn't sure when it actually happened, but out of the corner of his eye came a light blue light and a fox tail where Ahri had disappeared from his vision before. Carrying a small child in one hand, Ahri turned towards Kaldur and waved at him, signaling that she had done all she could. Holding the shield for just a few more moments, Kaldur finally let it drop collapsing to the floor as he watched the burning wreckage tumble into the watery abyss and bring much of the structures with it.

Shaking and in a sweat, Kaldur fell to his side, barely conscious. He felt exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to sleep where he lay as the echoes of the destruction he caused sounded below. Watching the road, Kaldur observed as the people gathered around him in curiosity, but were suddenly split as a familiar woman speared her way to his side.

"You young fool." Ahri whispered as she dragged him to his feet.

Kaldur limped upwards and rested on Ahri as she held him, positioning herself underneath his arm and holding his waist with her other arm. His head still spun, but he couldn't help but smile at his partner.

"Saved lives, didn't we?"

Ahri smirked and shook her head, leading him to the walkway as people stood and stared. It had been a long time since Kaldur had felt he had done anything good, and now that he stood here his heart began to lighten, if only a little, at the prospect that he had saved someone's life.

It was the shouting that broke Kaldur from his current thoughts, and as his fuzzy hearing perked, he was a little shocked to recognize the sounds of angry men; many of whom were shouting about the destruction of their goods.

"This way might not be best." Ahri remarked as she spun him around in haste.

"Good idea."

Tumbling the other way, Ahri looked around for a place to disappear, but struggled as there was no place that people were not observing.

"You two, this way!" Came a sturdy voice of a young man.

Angling his blurry vison, Kaldur was surprised to see a medium built man was longer dark hair, and sporting a clean-shaven face. With a torn tunic that covered all but his arms, and pants that were strapped on with a rope, he beckoned towards the duo.

Shrugging at Ahri's cautious look, the two made their way to the man, watching as the crowd bundled up behind them and began to divert there attention to other things. Walking into a cozy home that was nothing more than a single room that carried everything one needed, Kaldur was surprised to see a young boy holding up a trapdoor that lead farther down and into the mountainous cliffside.

"This them papa?" The kid asked, a look of excitement lining his face.

"This them." The man nodded, as he closed his front door.

Returning his attention to Kaldur, the man broke into a smile. "Take this and you'll make it to the Ridgeway Docks. It's a little far but it's better than bein' taken by those Wharf rats."

"Thanks." Kaldur said appreciatively. "Does everyone in this town have a secret entrance?"

The man chuckled as his son came over, holding onto his fathers' leg. "You don't get by in Bilgewater without knowing a few."

Ahri pulled a tired Kaldur over to the entrance and began to lead him down the steps so he wouldn't fall.

"Why help?" She asked, her face unreadable.

The father was by his only window, looking out at the ensuing madness before he answered.

"It's rare to get a good man in this part o' the world, much less one who sticks his neck out for those he don't know."

Ahri chewed on the words for a moment, then nodded in understanding as she shut the trapdoor. Leading Kaldur to the floor, Ahri ignited a single blue flame in the palm of her hand lighting the damp tunnel in front of them. With a small tug they were off, guiding their feet through the wet flooring. Kaldur was sure he kept his gaze on the straight and narrow, but every so often the wear of his mind would lull him into a daze, and it would be a bit before Ahri noticed to wake him. After a few more times nodding off, and a couple of steep declines, the pair found themselves at the dead end. With no light seeping through the exit, Ahri made a small push against the fake wall which led out to an open docking yard for smaller ships.

The pathway was dark as the clouds covered the moon and no lights were present, but the ever-sweeping sound of the water let them know they had made it. The fake wall was not the greatest; a wooden board that lay on hinges and covered in a paint that blended it into the background, but Kaldur could easily see people missing it in their day to day trials. Pulling him up, Ahri wrapped them both in the cloaks she had managed to recover, and keep them moving.

Despite his present desire to nod off, Kaldur kept his eyes open for signs of people. Since they were at the lowest parts of Bilgewater, most people were asleep this time of the night, getting a good amount of rest for their days work. Even in Kaldur's wish to join them he was still entranced by the parts of this city he had still not seen. While the crashed building was far to the East of where Ahri and himself had emerged, it was quite a surprise that most people would not have awoken for such a clatter. Taking reprieve in the silence, Kaldur watched from below as the still houses embedded in the cliff walls seemed to flow with the small waves that crashed against the poles which sunk into the waters' depths.

It was only a few minutes before they made their ways up to the wider stretches of the wooden walkways which lead to the entrance of the Slaughter Docks. Upon reaching it, Ahri set Kaldur down and looked around the corner at the moving lights of the guards that watched the docks. Making a small grimace she looked at Kaldur and knelt down in front of him.

"There are hundreds of them, searching."

Kaldur's eyes sparked open for a moment, despite how heavy they felt.

"Can we hide?"

Ahri shook her head. "I don't see anything. I cannot carry you …" She stopped, thinking.

With wide eyes she suddenly moved in closer to Kaldur, placing her forehead atop him and gripping his shoulder with her right hand.

"Ahri … what are you…"

The rush of energy felt invigorating, cutting his thoughts short. At first, it was much like drinking the energy straight from Ahri as her eyes and hand began to glow, but soon the image of her faded away, and the scenery was replaced with a snowy forest with trees the towered in comparison. Looking straight through the snow, and being close to the ground, he heard the distant sound of a child calling out in the distance. The snow was falling heavily and, the farther he walked through the snow, the more he could hear the voice, till it was on top of him. Unable to move, it only dawned on Kaldur that the sound was actually coming from his own mouth, and it sounded like a little girl.

"Emai! Fair!" she cried.

No matter how much Kaldur wanted to see the girl, he couldn't free his view from where it stood. But as soon as the scene appeared, it faded away leaving nothing but a tired Ahri and the docks they sat on.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, breathing heavily.

"Fine," He observed, moving his arms with new found energy. "But you seem worse for wear."

"I shall recover." She said, standing up. "We need to make it to the lifting machines they use over there."

Pointing a little to the left of Kaldur, he noticed that she was referring to the machines that lifted many of the torn guts of captured sea creatures. There were only a few large elevators, but he did notice a couple of smaller ones that were powered by the steam and water flow which turned the dials. Complimenting the advancement of this place, he recognized that Ahri was right. If they took the elevator up, then moved through the upper levels to the far side of the dock, they could avoid the search parties and make their way to Miss Fortunes ship without issues.

Nodding in agreement at the idea, Kaldur stood up and followed Ahri as they made their way to the slaughter station that was nearest. While the guards were searching vigorously, shouting at the top of their lungs, it was not that hard for Kaldur and Ahri to stick close to the water as they came upon the enormous building that housed many dead sea monsters. With a quick look at the door, the pair slipped in through the nearest entrance and made their way to the elevator. The large containment room was empty despite the smell, and with each step they took it echoed through the emptiness, making Kaldur cringe at each step for fear of getting noticed.

Boarding the lifting platform, which was a small six-foot square that held gears and wires underneath it to move the platform, Ahri gripped the lever that rested at the side and pulled it. There was a loud creak as the platform moved, pulling them towards the ceiling balconies that rested across the empty space. Coming to a loud halt, they both dived off the platform and rushed across the railing to the other side, flinging the door open that rested to the upper crosswalks that traversed the docking ring.

Dian stood there, crossbow armed but facing downward.

In a low growl, Ahri lit three of her fox fires and prepped her orb before a voice came from across around the corner.

"Found anything Dian?"

Everyone froze.

Dian gave Ahri and Kaldur a look, then turned her head towards the mans voice. "Not a thing. Place is locked down tighter than a rig. Join the others near the docks, they can't get far."

With a quick push, the light slowly disappeared and all that remained were three familiar faces, all glaring at each other.

"Dian." Kaldur greeted, nodding.

"Tell your pet to calm down before I put a bolt between those pretty little eyes of hers."

"Indulge me." Ahri snarled, bringing her orb and flames closer to their target.

"She's not my pet." Kaldur interjected before Ahri could do anything, squeezing his way in between them. "She's my friend."

"I take it I don't count?" Dian tested, gripping her crossbow.

Kaldur chuckled, relieving some of the tension that was building. "I never said you weren't."

Dian slowly lowered her crossbow and looked at Kaldur, hope residing in her eyes. "Then why did you leave?"

"You know the reason." Kaldur began, watching as Ahri's flames disappeared. "I was not myself there. Your … boss made sure of that."

"I know." Dian apologized, turning her eyes away. "If I could have done anything…"

"You did all you could while I was there." Kaldur encouraged, shaking his head. "I don't blame you, or Hagrif, for any of it. You're a good person Dian; just maybe working for the wrong guy."

Turning to face Ahri, he motioned for her to keep going.

"Are you sure?" She asked, giving a look to Dian that could fire daggers.

"I'll catch up."

Dian snapped her head at the comment and leveled her crossbow at Ahri. "I didn't say she could go."

Before Ahri could react, Kaldur stepped in front of the crossbow and looked at Dain square in the eyes.

"Are you still bound to her!?" Dian sputtered in outrage.

"No. But I will not let you harm her. If you wanted that you would have said something to the man that was here earlier."

"I did that for you! Not for …"

"Dian." Kaldur stopped her sternly. "Let her go, then you and I can talk."

Dian took one more look at Ahri then shrugged, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Fine."

Without another word, Ahri took off; and Kaldur was left alone with Dian on the roof of the giant metal workshop. Dropping her crossbow, Dian sat down on the cold metal and looked up at the night sky. Taking his que, Kaldur sat next to her, leaning on his knees and following her gaze.

"She your girl or something?" Dian began, breaking the silence.

Kaldur was surprised by the comment. "She has really good hearing you know, she can probably still hear this."

Dian shrugged. "Don't care. Want an answer."

Kaldur sighed. "No, she isn't."

"Good."

Kaldur gave her an eyebrow, but decided to humor her anyway. "She's the first person to help me when I came to this world. I had no idea where I was or what was going on, and in a surprising turn of events she agreed to help me get home, and has been with me ever since."

"Then she could be more?" Dian poked.

"Yes … no… maybe. Look, I don't know. I've just been lucky to have her. What is your obsession with her anyway?"

Dian sighed. "Because you could have made a life for yourself here. At least, that's what I hoped."

"I know. You told me that in your sea of advice that my mind wouldn't let me understand."

Dian turned her head, a little surprised. "You remember that?"

"I remember all of what happened … and what I did."

Recognizing the pain in Kaldur's eyes, Dian looked down once more. "Maybe your right, about the Captain I mean; but I can't just leave."

Kaldur shook his head. "Not asking you to. I just want to get as far away from here as I can, and find my way home."

Dian took a deep breath, leaned back and tilted her head towards Kaldur, a modicum of her smile returning.

"No chance in me changin' your mind?"

Kaldur smirked and shook his head. "No chance."

Standing up, Dian brushed off her backside and picked up her crossbow. "It's a shame I didn't find anything up here. Would o' made the captain real proud."

"What a shame." Kaldur remarked as he stood up, walking over to the edge where Ahri had disappeared. After a few steps, Kaldur stopped and looked down at his chest, realizing he still was wearing Dian's vest. Slipping it off, Kaldur turned around and held it out to Dain who was moving through the open door.

"I believe this is yours."

Dian paused and looked at the vest. "Keep it."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Think of it as a goodbye gift." She said, smiling. "Something to remember me by."

Observing the teal vest made of scales, he shrugged and pulled it under the cloak.

"I'll do that." He said as he turned around.

There was no farewell gesture from Dian as the two parted ways, but Kaldur felt there was no real need for any. As he spun around the corner, Kaldur noticed Ahri was standing some distance away, her eyes focused on the area they were at. Hurrying towards where she stood, Kaldur slipped the vest back on noticing that, for once, it didn't weigh anything.

"Is everything alright?" She asked as he came up.

"You know, I think it is."


	14. On Golden Shores

Chapter 13: On Golden Shores

Sarah Fortune was not a person to cater to a pleasant goodbye, and as such, the moment she could get rid of Kaldur and Ahri she did so. Giving them basic provisions and clothes, she strapped them to Grends ship and ordered him to take the trouble makers far away from Bilgewaters shores. Grend was already up to the task, and without further ado, his ship left high tide in the early morning, hailing for the sun gates of Piltover.

"So, why do they call it the Sun Gates?" Kaldur asked, strapping on a set of iron bracers as the waves split on the ships bow. It was the early morning a few days out from the slaughter docks, and while the sun beat down on the crew, Kaldur couldn't help but feel good that he was on the move once again.

"Piltover's a canal." Grend explained as he wrapped up a coil of rope. "Fastest way to get from one end of Valoran to the other. It has many gates and devices that pull ships from one end to the other."

"How advanced is this place?"

Kaldur stood up and bounded up and down to test his new equipment. It wasn't much, but it felt right for Kaldur. Sporting a light brown hooded gi that was tied together at the sides, he wore it over his light blue t-shirt with his scaled teal vest that hung over the top of it all. With a brown belt holding up a dark blue pair of pants that felt like it was made out of a combination of rubber and wool, his iron greaves covered the change from pants to maroon red boots that now protected his lower half. With a pair of iron bracers on each arm and a finally shaven face, Kaldur nodded in appreciation. His only regret was that his shoes had to be changed out as he had worn them down so much over his months of travel that they no longer worked as shoes.

"The pinnacle of technology. It's very much a trading station. People from all over come to trade as well as make a living."

"You sound like a fan." Kaldur teased.

"Fan?" Grend asked, confused at the term.

Kaldur moved to the hull edge and rested his arms on the sturdy wood, looking out at the vast ocean as the ship moved farther away from Bilgewater.

"You know, someone who admires and respects something, or someone."

"Ah." Grend nodded in comprehension. "You could say I did as a youngin'."

Putting away the rope, Grend leaned his back against the railing next to Kaldur, stretching before he pulled a large gold coin out of his pocket.

"Fortune asked me to give this to you once we left the shores." He said, changing the topic. "Said if you ever had a need to come back, that will get you by."

Kaldur reached over and took the coin out of his hand. It was solid gold, but was stamped with a large kraken face, the face of the Bearded Lady all Bilgewater residents worshipped.

"Looks like an oversized Gold Kraken to me. I know it's money, but how is this supposed to help?"

"Turn it over."

Spinning the coin around in his palm, Kaldur saw that the reverse side was not decorated in a series of tentacles that spun in a circle, but rather a large F was imprinted on it.

"It's her mark. Or rather the mark she uses for these." Grend explained.

Kaldur nodded and stuffed the coin in his pocket. "Too bad I won't need it. I don't plan on going back to that place."

Grend made a shrug. "Can't blame ya'. Just remember that you have friends there."

Kaldur made a small smirk. "You mean friends that capture you and put you into slavery?"

Grend opened his mouth, affronted. "I was a good master!"

Kaldur couldn't help but snicker. "Just glad you got out of that business." He said, leaning his head into his arms as he lay the front of himself on the railing, keeping his eyes on the ocean.

Grend stood up and moved over to the ropes once more, shifting them around. "I did apologize for that."

Kaldur spun around. "Grend, I already told you that I don't blame you for that. You were trying to make a living in a crooked place and I was…" He paused at the small sound of a chuckle.

Tilting his head in confusion, Kaldur looked at Grend as the man broke out in total laughter.

"Are you gonna fall for that guilt trip sob story every time, cuz that's never getting old."

Rolling his eyes to hide his embarrassment, Kaldur shoved himself away from the wall and walked away from the jokester.

"I'm gonna hit you." Kaldur threatened lightly.

"I'm sure I have it coming." Grend breathed as he wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "Now, if you won't help me with the rigging while my crew is busy, head down and talk to your lady friend. She's been a little odd these past few days."

Kaldur shook his head and made his way below deck. Grend was not wrong in any capacity, Ahri had been a little off since the day of their job, and while Kaldur wanted to believe it was nothing, his gut kept telling him that it was something that couldn't be let to simmer. Sucking up his uneasiness, Kaldur rounded the small walkways until he reached the bunk that he and Ahri shared. Knocking on the door, he called out.

"You decent?" He asked.

"Come on in." Came Ahri's voice.

Walking into the small bunk room where two beds stood side by side, Kaldur watched as the large lantern lit up Ahri's face, but not as much as her yellow eyes. Taking a seat on the bed across the way he swung around and lay down to look at the plank wood ceiling.

"How goes life?"

"Life is fine." She answered, focusing on the two objects in her hands.

Tilting his head over he watched as she distracted herself, avoiding Kaldur's eyes.

"Alright." He said, sitting back up. "What's wrong?"

Ahri tilted her eyes up to look at Kaldur, keeping her head pointed downwards.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been strange the last few days. You shut yourself up in here and only come out when you need to. Not trying to judge, but at first you wouldn't let me out of your sight, now it's like you avoid me."

Ahri looked back down at the gems in her hands. "I hadn't noticed."

Kaldur groaned at the obvious lie, but decided it was best for a change of topic. "What are those?" he asked, leaned back against the wall.

"Gems. Each one looks like an individual piece, but when they fold together they make a seamless sphere."

Kaldur leaned in as she held out the gems. Each one was an individual bronze and golden piece, shaped like twin fires with a rounded bottom, much like Ahri's fox fires. With swirls of the less pure metal creating designs like the insides of a flame, it gave Kaldur the impression that the pieces could ignite on their own like something alive. Placing the tips together, Ahri slowly twisted them together till the smooth edges of flames connected and disappeared from view, leaving a perfect sphere.

"How long you had them?"

"As long as I can remember."

Kaldur paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Weren't you raised by a den of ice foxes?"

Ahri made a small hint of a smile before it vanished. "One of the first questions you asked I believe."

"The tails had me curious the whole time." Kaldur grinned. "I was trying to figure out how you could switch them to have anywhere from one to nine."

Ahri smiled as well. "And you were always so quick to the next question. You were like a child."

Kaldur shrugged. "Eh, not much has changed in that department. I still have many questions."

Almost as if a giant force struck his mind, Kaldur remembered what he had wanted to ask her.

"You remember a few days ago, when we were on the docks and you force fed me power so we could escape?"

It was only for a second, but Kaldur noticed the look in Ahri's eyes the moment he brought the subject up: worry.

"How could I forget." She answered, her breath becoming slightly shallower.

"There was something I saw, when you were connected to me."

Ahri's eyes widened slightly. Noticing the motion, Kaldur made a deep sigh.

"You know what, never mind. You probably …"

"Say it." She ordered, keeping her eyes pointed down.

"It … it was like I was looking through the eyes of a young girl, wandering through an icy forest calling out to her parents in Ionian. I'm not sure what that means but …"

Ahri let out the biggest sigh of relief in existence and closed her eyes. "It's not what I thought." She mumbled.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "Ok, what does _that_ mean?"

Looking up at Kaldur, Ahri's eyes became gentler with a hint of mischief behind them, and a smile appearing on her face.

"I thought you had taken a memory from me, one that I hoped you would never have to see."

Kaldur crossed his arms. "Wait… what?"

"I had never passed a memory on to another before, but when we were stuck in that place I figured that I had to try. If they give me power then I could assume that the same is true for someone else with magic. The problem, is that I couldn't control what memory left me, and if I would remember it. I was so desperate to get you out of there that I didn't think of the consequences."

Kaldur squinted his eyes and peered at Ahri suspiciously. "What was the memory you didn't want me to see?"

"Things I have done. Things that you would not forgive."

Kaldur scoffed. "I am quite positive we had this conversation before. I don't care what you did in your past, I just care what …"

"It is different when you retain a memory." Ahri interrupted. "I know you believe you would forgive me, Kaldur; but if you were to actually gain that memory from me, you would feel everything that I felt, and everything that I saw. You would feel like you were actually there. And when you take a memory, you may not feel the same as you once did; I am not even sure your world rune could protect you from that."

Kaldur leaned forward, grasping Ahri's hand in his and looking at her eyes. "You never know." He said, smiling. "You're right that I may see things differently after the memory; but there is always the chance that I won't. You can't be certain. I mean, you turned out fine."

"I am who I am because of the memories I have taken." She said, solemnly.

"I don't believe that's entirely true, but that's just me. I can't tell you who you are, you need to decide that for yourself."

Ahri paused for a moment to breath, then with a small smirk looked up at Kaldur. Glad that she was at least trying for his sake, Kaldur backed up and leaned against the wall, removing his hand form Ahri's.

"So, what _is_ the memory I took about?"

"After the first few memories I had taken, I attempted to search for my parents in the woods they had left me at. It was only a few days, but it was the first time I felt the need to search for them."

"Your parents?"

"I was not raised by Ice Foxes due to fate. I was abandoned in the woods by my parents, no clue as to where I came from, with the exception of two gemstones."

Kaldur raised his hand in recognition. "So that's where they came from."

Ahri nodded. "Before I found you, that was what I had been searching for. Any clue, and any place it would take me, I followed."

"That also explains what Lee Sin meant by your quest." He commented, taking a breath of relief. Standing up, Kaldur moved to the door and opened it, looking back at Ahri as she put the gems away in her pouch.

"You know," Kaldur began, thinking of what to say. "You've helped me through a lot these months I've known you, and I haven't really returned the favor. I know this goes without saying, but as long as I am in this world I will be there for you, even …"

Kaldur took a deep breath as he realized he was rambling.

"All I'm saying is that I will help you. No matter where you go, or what it is."

It had been a long time since Kaldur had seen a genuine smile come from Ahri's lips, and as the corners of her mouth formed, he came to the conclusion that this was the happiest he had seen her in a long time.

"I know." She said.

With a nod and a smile of his own, Kaldur left the room.

With the tension partially alleviated on the ship, the remaining two weeks at sea went by quickly. Helping the crew, training, and having a grand time with his friends, Kaldur felt the bliss of a simple life on the waters; however much he knew it wouldn't last. Over many days, Grend would offer to teach Kaldur how to manage a ship and all of its inner workings. While Kaldur had read about much sailing he had never performed it himself, and was glad to learn when the offer came. Ahri was not as enthusiastic, but offered to watch, stating to Kaldur that her interests were purely selfish in nature.

It was on the early morning of a bright day when Kaldur was awoken by an excited Ahri, already packed and ready to depart.

"Kaldur!" She yelled, shaking the sleep out of him.

"What, what?" He groaned as he jerked up to see an enthusiastic look in Ahri's eyes, her tail swaying slowly from side to side.

"We are short an hour out. Time to get up."

Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head awake, Kaldur stood up to get dressed as Ahri dashed out the door to the deck of the ship. With his clothes on, Kaldur crept out onto the deck and joined a haggard looking Grend at the bow of the ship as he watched the encroaching landmass.

"Your lady is eager. Haven't seen her this excited since … well never." Grend observed as he drank what Kaldur could only assume was coffee from a small tin mug.

"Where is she?"

"In the nest." He answered, gesturing above him.

Turning around, Kaldur looked up to the rafters to see Ahri leaning on the railing of the crows' nest as she watched the horizon.

"Yeah, she can be like that sometimes. You would think that someone as poised as she is wouldn't have a child like side, but I've been with her so long and I am still learning stuff, so I guess anything's possible."

Grend grunted. "If she's cheery this early in the morning, there is no way she's normal."

"She's a Vastayan, define normal."

Grend tipped his cup at Kaldur, conceding the point, and continued to gaze out at the approaching city.

"When we get there it's gonna be a bit rough for you. Neither o' you have been here before, and I won't be around to drag your butt out of the trouble you'll make."

Kaldur's smile dropped from his face as he followed Grends' gaze. "I know. We'll figure something out."

"Where you plannin' to start?"

"Well, this place is a hub for information; and Lee Sin said that our best chance of finding answers would be here, so we might just start with a library and go from there."

"Heard of that from Doc, that's a collection of books right?"

Kaldur almost laughed, but realized that most of Bilgewaters residence probably couldn't, or didn't want to, read let alone know what to read.

"Yeah. A collection of knowledge."

Sitting in silence for the drift into the harbor, Kaldur looked up to see the busiest city he had ever laid eyes on.

Piltover was a city far into the throes of a steam-punks greatest dream. Technological marvels shone on every corner while the feel of the city was easily part of a nineteenth century Victorian era.

To the north of their ship, as they meandered through the gaggle of other vessels, was a line of boats waiting as an underwater conveyor belt gripped them and carried them at a slight angle upwards to the far end of the city from east to west. All the while, other ships left a similar belt that had carried them from the upper western side to the current harbor. In between, and around the conveyors, stood thin bridges and equipment lodgings as people ran to and from in a state of hurried importance while cogs, wheels, and engines filled the air with a small humming sound.

With steam rising in the air from the machines, Piltover was filled with an assortment of blues, greys, golds, and a light red tint. Stretching along the coast, the housing filled the spaces that could be seen with the people and their machines walking the cobble streets. With small waterfalls donning the cliffsides that could be seen, it was a marvel to see a large bridge that towered above the city connecting the northern more industrial side to the southern housing area.

In front of Kaldur, as he watched the excited city, were a series of large fences and bridges that crossed the harbors waters, each with a gate in the center of them that stood open and welcoming. With a bronze metal creating the actual gate that lifted itself by a cogged pulley, the decorated archway that held the gate was a slight shade darker that held tactile patterns which seemed to embrace the rest of the large fencing. With a nod, it came to Kaldur that these were the sun gates he was told of.

Passing through the final sun gate, Kaldur was greeted by a large trade harbor where ships of all shapes and sizes stood docked near the stone walkway that shored a good deal of people bustling with goods to sell and barter. With buildings surrounding the harbor, all decorated with bright colors and grappling systems meant to remove goods from parked ships, Kaldur was surprised to see hundreds of people surrounding a few of the larger ships in anticipation this early in the morning.

"Don't get the goods by sleeping in." Grend prodded, noticing Kaldur's expression.

Kaldur shook his head at the remark as a smaller vessel pulled up to the side of Grend's ship. It looked much like a patrol boat that his world had used, but instead of an engine in the rear, it had two larger cylinders pointed sideways on the sides of it, making a low wave sound as the small boat came closer.

"Term of business?" Called a man on the boat. There were two of them on the boat, both dressed in a similar uniform. With a golden embroidered dark blue vest that had a white trimmed belt holding it closed, the man wore a sky blue plaid pair of khakis that tucked under his large blue boots with multiple buckles and a high heel on the back end. On their shoulders, the pair sported a hard-metallic pad that was decorated in crisscrossing brass with the dark blue filling in the lines. What was the most noticeable, however, were the hats. Each member wore a dark blue hat where the front looked like a military officers bill while the back flayed behind him like a fin. With the top rim covered in a golden ring, it had five golden dots that ran evenly around the sides and the front.

"Traveler transportation, Warden." Grend responded as he looked over the side at the man.

Looking at a small device that Kaldur couldn't quite see, the warden faced Grend once more before pointing at an area farther down the dock. "Alright, you have space at dock three. If there are any problems don't be afraid to ask."

"Will do." Grend said.

With a small wave at the helmsman, Grends ship moved farther along the shores till they came across an empty area that fit the ship nicely. Stopping the vessel, Kaldur helped tie it down and drop the loading platform as they weighed anchor. Pulling himself below deck, Kaldur grabbed the one duffle bag he used to carry his things and slung it over his shoulder, making sure to grab Ahri's as well. Coming back upstairs, he almost jumped as Ahri fell right in front of him.

"Jeez! Don't do that!"

Ahri made a small smile as she grabbed her bag from his hand. "Are you ready?"

Kaldur smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Turning to Grend as the man ordered his crew about, Kaldur reached his hand out. "It's been a journey, thanks for being there."

With a hearty laugh, Grend clasped hands and shook. "You're a good man, Kaldur. Keep out of trouble."

"Will do."

As Ahri gave a farewell hug and a kiss on the cheek, the pair made their way off the boat and onto the dock. It was strange for Kaldur, but he had a feeling that it would be a while before he would be on a ship again and so he took one last look at Grend and his crew, waving a last goodbye.

Turning around, Kaldur and Ahri departed farther into the city. The docks themselves were just as crowded as expected, but it was more apparent how tight the city was the farther they went through. With merchants on every corner and people appearing and disappearing through the small walkways that lead to the upper city, it was a wonder to Kaldur that anyone could get anything done. Taking a turn through the alleyways, the pair meandered the stone and wooden houses till they came across a larger walkway that stretched from the south to the north. With bronze trappings and clockwork that hummed on the exterior buildings, it was clear this place was far more detailed than the docking stations. With the roads and walls made of marble, the windows were made of a light blue glass where the hinges and cogs turned with the same bronze that made the machines.

"Huh," Kaldur began, thinking out loud. "Smart to use bronze, it's one of the least heat conductive metals. At first I thought it was copper."

Ahri raised an eyebrow.

"What? I used to be an engineer." Kaldur defended.

Ahri made a small smirk. "Adorable."

Kaldur blushed and spun to follow the road.

"So, where is our destination?" Ahri asked as she eyed the people who managed to notice her tail under her cloak.

"I have no clue. Not like I have a map to this place. I thought you had an idea."

"I was only told that bringing you here would be your best option. It is not as if most of Ionia knows the details of Piltover."

Kaldur made a disgruntled sigh. "Alright, looks like I have to ask. We're gonna have to find a place to stay as well, not to mention a place to do research."

Kaldur put his palm to his forehead. "I also forgot that we may not have enough money. I don't even know how long we'll be staying."

Ahri put her hand against his shoulder. "No worries about the money. Sarah was insistent that we take a small amount."

Kaldur turned his head to face her as they kept walking. "How much is 'small'?"

"Three hundred golden Krakens."

Kaldur almost stopped mid stride. "Woah. Then all we have to do is find a bank that can trade it out for whatever currency they use here."

Passing by an elderly woman, Kaldur skidded to a halt and turned to greet her. With a light red shawl over an impressive dark green dress, the woman looked to be in her mid-sixties. With frills around her wrists and neck, and a small pair of elongated black boots that came to her knees, the woman seemed quite pleasant. Sporting a pair of large glasses, the woman kept her hair in a small bun in the back of her head.

"Excuse me ma'am?"

The woman paused and turned around to look at Kaldur.

"I apologize, do you speak Noxian by any chance?"

"It's called the common tongue dear. Don't be so arrogant as to believe Noxus is the only place that uses that language."

Kaldur spared a confused glance at Ahri who shrugged.

"Sorry, I didn't know that." Kaldur began, returning his attention to the older woman. "Is there perhaps a bank around here, one that I could trade currency?"

"New here dear?" The woman asked, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, just got into town."

"Most shops allow for different currency dear, but if you want to trade for Golden Hex's, I suggest the Ecliptic Vaults. They are on Sidereal Avenue which is just south across the large bridge that separates the city. It's a large road made of bronze, you can't miss it."

"Thank you, ma'am. Now if …"

It was a loud crash that interrupted Kaldur, and as he turned to look at the commotion he came face to face with a haggard man. Dressed in dark grey clothing that was stained with oil, the man had a beard the size of Grends with no hair on his head and a thin demeanor standing a few inches shorter than Kaldur.

"Hey, man, I need your help."

Kaldur paused, looking back at the older woman who was walking away at the upcoming ruckus. Taking a slight stance Kaldur reared his attention back to the man in caution.

"Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter. Look, I'll pay you five silver cogs if you tell that woman I went to the docks."

"Wait, what?" Kaldur asked, confused. "What woman?

"Just take them!" The man begged, holding up his arm.

In the mans' palm were three silver coins, all with a small symbol that looked like a gear with a long hinge connected to the center, but it wasn't the coins that grabbed Kaldurs' attention, it was the mans' arm. Metallic with bronze and tin, the man's hand only had four fingers that were sealed to a tin joint, each with a small wire that lead into the mechanism. Connected to the arm itself was a large glass container that was sideways in a cylindrical form with pipes leading to the arm from both sides. Inside the container was a green liquid which bubbled whenever the man made a movement.

"What the …" Kaldur was almost too distracted by the arm that he almost missed the slight glare that passed his vision. Looking up at the red tiled roofs that seemed to cover the entire street, Kaldurs' view fell upon a single individual that was kneeling by a type of chimney, aiming a rifle at the man who was in front of him.

"Kaldur!" Ahri yelled as she readied, dropping her cloak.

"I see him."

Wide eyed, Kaldur shoved the man to the side and conjured a shield just as the loud bang of the rifle erupted, sending a round into the shield that bounded off into the street. With a long beam that trailed back to the shooter, Kaldur watched as the person skidded across the tile to the edge of the roof. Pulling out a large hook that strapped to the end of the roof, the assailant belayed down to the ground. While there were a few raised voices, Kaldur was surprised that most people had not run from the scene, and while there were still few people, it gave Kaldur the sneaking suspicion that something was up.

"Did you get him, Cait?" Came a loud female voice to his right.

With the man rolling up to his feet, Kaldur reached over and grabbed him by his collar and jerked the man closer.

"Not till I figure out what's going on." Kaldur murmured.

With Ahri igniting her fox fires, Kaldur watched as another figure ran up the street to their location while the first walked up to reveal themselves.

The first person was a woman. Tall and steady, the person radiated pure confidence even with the outfit she was wearing. Light skinned with a slight tan and sky blue eyes, the woman had violet purple hair that drew down to her lower back. Wearing a strapless, no sleeve, dress that went to her knees, it contained white frills at the bottom and was covered in a purple that matched her hair. On her head the woman wore a purple and bronze top hat the slunk just to over her eyes, while a pair of bracelets rested on her arms next to her shoulders each with a large teal gem in the middle. Sporting belted combat boots, and two gloves, the left one fingerless, the assailant carried a large rifle that looked like it was out of a comic book. Painted white and gold, the chamber mechanism carried a tube in it that glowed with a pink-red hue, while the top held three optical glasses of assorted sizes. The rifle itself was nearly the length of the woman herself, with a barrel that could easily fit a golf ball within it.

"Not quite." The woman said, whom Kaldur could only assume was Cait, as the second one came up.

The second woman was almost the inverse of the first. With rough pink hair and a pair of large goggles on her head, the woman felt far more like a punk that would sooner hit than talk in any given situation. With dark violet eyes, and a large 'VI' tattooed under her left eye, the woman was plastered with a large assortment of armor that covered her arms and legs. Each segment was painted a dark grey with a bronze outer trim, making the large shoulder pads she had look decent for someone of her size. Many belts strapped the armor to her, giving a look that made it seem like the woman was wearing a one-piece suit. With a gleaming silver plate that formed around her upper body and breasts, the lover half of her midsection was a frilly white piece that was formed to her body by a large belt across her waste. Her hands, however, where what Kaldur was aiming his attention at. Each hand contained a large mechanical glove, and each one looked like a weapon that could destroy the ground with a single hit. With small ejections of steam, the gloves were a combination of metal and gears with a dial that rested on the forearm constantly shifting where a dark blue crystalline triangle rested in between the two middle fingers on the back of the hand. Each glove was the size of the woman chest and torso, making them look far heavier than a woman of her size could carry.

"You know, I have seen some weird outfits, but yours takes the cake." Kaldur remarked.

"What did you say?" The pink haired woman yelled as she took a few steps forward.

Ahri was immediate to react and stepped in between Kaldur and the woman.

"Calm down Vi." Cait ordered as she moved to stop her companion. "The man's holding Jaklyn."

Moving up to Kaldur's shield, the first woman paused to look at it before casting her gaze of Kaldur himself.

"A foreigner I assume?" The woman asked, slinging her rifle over her shoulder.

Realizing that there was very little threat here, Kaldur dropped his shield as he watched Ahri extinguish her fires.

"It's been a bit since I've seen a Vastayan here in Piltover. Your kind normally doesn't leave Ionia."

Ahri remained silent at the comment.

"Just looking for something." Kaldur answered. "So, what's the deal with this guy?" He said, pulling the mechanical armed man closer as the guy shook in fear.

"He's wanted for questioning." Reaching out her hand in greeting, she continued. "I'm Caitlyn, sheriff of Piltover. This is my partner Vi."

Kaldur reached out and took her hand, shaking it as he nodded to Vi.

"Now that we have our pleasantries out of the way, can we get our guy?" Vi interjected. "I have a hot date."

Kaldur almost laughed at the comment, but decided against it and pulled the man towards Caitlyn. Reaching out, Caitlyn grabbed the man by his arms and pulled out a pair of bronze handcuffs, strapping them on the man's wrists as his arms were put behind him.

"Come on Vi." Jaklyn pleaded. "You know me, we can work something out, right?"

Vi shrugged. "Depends on how you answer our questions, Jak."

"Thanks for your help." Caitlyn said.

"No problem." Kaldur acknowledged. "You had me a little confused there at the start but it's good to see something familiar."

Vi paused and put one of her gloved hands on her hips. "Wait, Noxus has sheriffs now?"

"Not from Noxus." Kaldur answered.

Caitlyn, who held the man by the cuffs turned around. "You said you were looking for something?"

"A place to stay to start with. Then hopefully a library."

"The southern end has most accommodations, I recommend Finley's. Man has the right stuff for travelers. As for libraries, you could check out Esoteric Factual; it's near Finley's. Large building with the image of an eclipse in front of it… You know what an eclipse is?"

"Which one, lunar or solar?"

Caitlyn smiled. "You'll fit in well here. I didn't get your name."

"Kaldur, this here is my friend Ahri." He said, gesturing to Ahri who was giving the pair a death stare.

" 'Nice to meet you.' 'Oh, why thank you.' 'Can you date me, I am so lonely?'" Vi joked, changing her voice to match a little girl. "Can we leave now? You can talk with your boyfriend later."

Caitlyn stared at her partner, wide mouthed and eyes that planned to murder.

"I think I'll take my leave." Kaldur said, feeling the awkwardness of the situation. "I have a few things I need to do, and I don't want to keep you from your duties."

With a quick farewell, Kaldur and Ahri took off to the southernmost end of the road and followed the alleyways that lead to the large bridge in the center of the city.

"You were quiet back there." Kaldur commented to Ahri as they rounded a corner.

"Felt as if there was nothing to say."

Kaldur turned his head to look at his companion, noticing that she was as stoic faced as she could make herself.

"Alright, just hope it wasn't awkward."

"You were fine, I just have no like for potentially dangerous encounters."

Kaldur tilted his head a little farther back and noticed that Ahri's tail was swaying back and forth, if ever so slightly.

"You were excited." He commented, a smug smile appearing on his face.

"I was not!" Ahri reacted, aghast with her tail swaying even more.

"Ha, you totally were!" Kaldur laughed. "You were so excited to see this place with your own eyes, and on the first day you get to see a cop."

"Good luck getting to the other side on your own." Ahri said as she bolted to the other side of the alleyway as it led up to the hill.

"Ahri! Come on!" Kaldur protested, still laughing a little.

Running up, Kaldur attempted to catch up with her. He was nowhere near as fast as she was but he kept a steady beat behind her, and as they made their way through the droves of people and machines, he found that he was enjoying himself. With her it was one turn after the other as she bolted to keep away, and when she finally slowed down they had passed onto a large bridge that flowed in the open area. Catching her at the edge of the railing, Kaldur stopped to look as the sun passed behind them.

The water was clear from here, and in front of them two bridges that connected to some small islands on the far side of the city. From his observation they were easily a few hundred feet high on this side of the canal; whereas on the other side it looked as if they were a mountain looking down on a large lake. People collected across the bridge, wandering to and from as trolley like carts carried people from one end to the other.

"It's beautiful here." Ahri commented as she watched the small mechanoid suits near the base of the water repair a part of the trusses that held the bridge.

"Coming from you, that says a lot."

"It is sad. I never had the time to enjoy Bilgewater as much as I had hoped; but it doesn't compare to this."

"Yeah, we were kinda waylaid there; but, now that we are here, we can take our time. Not like we have anyone hunting us."

"Do you think you will find your answers here?" Ahri asked as she leaned on the railing.

"I hope so. Though I can't say for sure."

Taking a glimpse at the horizon, Kaldur leaned in next to Ahri, and took a deep breath.

"The answer's out there somewhere, I just have to find it."

Kaldur and Ahri stood where they were, watching the scenery for a while, and it wasn't until a loud horn below them sounded that Kaldur realized they had been there for over a half an hour. Standing up, he beckoned for Ahri to follow.

"We may want to go."

Taking the bridge to the southern edge of the city, Kaldur examined the architecture of the streets for any hint of an inn that looked like it would house travelers, but was sorely disappointed when he remembered that he couldn't read the language. After a few stopped persons, and a mass of confusing directions, the pair finally made their way to the door of a larger building that was older in style to the rest of the avenues surrounding it. With dark red tiles on the roof, and a creamy white coating on the walls, the building was made of a somber oak that reminded Kaldur of a house in the late sixteen hundreds. Opening the front wooden door, the two walked into a pleasant entryway with a darker skinned man in bright colored clothing standing behind a desk.

"Can I help you?" The man asked, his voice rough and deep from apparent age.

"Yes, hoping we could get a pair of rooms."

The man reached into the desk and pulled out a drawer where in lied a stack of papers. Reaching over to grab a quill, the gentleman dipped the tip into the ink and held it over the parchment.

"How long is your stay?"

Kaldur shrugged a little. "Until further notice."

The man gave Kaldur a questioning look but appeared to write that down.

"That will be six silver cogs a night. For the first seven that will be forty two."

"What is the trade ratio for a Golden Hex to a Golden Kraken?"

The man paused for a moment, then he reached back into his desk and pulled out a chart that seemed to have numerical figures that Kaldur recognized.

"One and a tenth to one. Seems Bilgewater's currency is changing in value."

Looking at Ahri, Kaldur watched as she pulled out a larger bag from her container and handed the man four Golden Krakens. Reaching back into his desk, the man brought forth a small chest and opened it where he removed two silver cogs and placed them on the table, retrieving the four gold coins and placing them into the chest.

"Payment is due by midday every seven days for the next seven days. If you leave before your seven days are expired you may return to me to receive the payment that you have not used. If you do not return to collect your expected payment, than the excess you have not used will be kept here and will be forfeit from retrieval."

"Understood."

"Your rooms will be the two in the back hallway on the second floor. They stand across from each other. Here are your keys, if you lose them there is a fine of one golden hex to replace. The public baths are two blocks to the north, if you request our private bath that is five bronze washers. Restrooms are on the base floor."

Kaldur nodded as he grabbed the bronze and tin decorated keys, each one had a small blue gem embedded in the handle as the pin extended a good three inches. Shrugging at Ahri, the two made their way to the stairs but stopped the moment the man cleared his throat to get their attention.

"One more thing: no violence is prohibited in the building. If damage is done to the building, the payment comes from you."

Nodding in agreement, the pair made their way to the back rooms of the hallway above. Unlocking the door, Kaldur was surprised to see that the room was quite furnished. With a single queen-sized bed laced with purple and grey sheets, the room contained a desk near the window and a closet to store his clothing in. Wandering into his room, Kaldur noticed a nightstand next to his bed with a small book written in what he could only assume was the common tongue. On the desk itself was a large lamp that looked to be powered by a manufactured red hextech crystal in the base. Dropping his bag into the closet, Kaldur wandered over to the lamp and turned it on. With a shock, he was surprised to see light coming out of the glass bulb at the top. With a smile, Kaldur embraced the sense of familiarity that came with this city, it was very much like home.

"So that's how that works." Ahri's voice came from his doorway.

Turning around, Kaldur kept his goofy grin as he explained. "I used to have something similar in my world. We called them lightbulbs, while the thing that held it was called a lamp. With a flick of the switch," Kaldur turned the lamp off. "the light goes away or comes on."

"You seem at home here." Ahri observed, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"Not quite, but it's close." Spinning around, Kaldur put his hands on his hips in a joking manner. "Now, what do you say we take a look at that library?"

With a nod from Ahri, the two locked up their rooms and made their way outside of Finley's. It took a bit of asking, but Kaldur had finally learned the location of all the library's in the area, including the location of the prosperous Sidereal Avenue that contained much of Plovers flaunted wealth. Heading farther south, and a little east away from the bridge, Kaldur began to notice a slight change in the architecture as he wandered the larger streets. While most of Piltover was indeed made of bronze and marble structures, it seemed that there were parts where towers of iron and colored glass would come out of the ground, but never reach higher than the buildings on the floor.

Taking a slight detour from his initial path, Kaldur wandered up to one of the towers. Blocked by a railing that outlined the road around it, the tower came from below the ground, and when Kaldur looked down he nearly gasped out loud.

The city was far larger than he had thought.

The tower was just one of many, and as he looked down Kaldur could not tell where the sheer drop ended. Below the ground he stood on was almost an entirely different city that extended into the bowels of the earth. With a dark green and grey hue, and a fog that seemed ever present, there were hundreds of levels of buildings that sank into the abyss. With pullies that drew elevator like devices upwards and down from the lower sections, the cobbled streets were decorated with buildings of hard metals and lovely colored glass, while domes in certain sections were held living plants and wildlife.

It was an entirely different world below him, and while Kaldur was more than tempted to explore the ginormous depths below him, he was still debating whether it would be a good idea in his current situation.

"What in the world is this place? Piltover is waaay bigger than I thought."

"That is not Piltover, young man." Came a voice from behind.

Kaldur turned around to see a middle aged gentleman sporting a red tailed coat and a nice vest standing near him.

"That would be Zuan." The stranger continued. "The under-half of Piltover. I suggest staying away if I were you, lawless vagabonds the lot of them."

Kaldur took another look at the upper levels of Zuan. While it was indeed different, he could definitely see Piltover residents trading goods with people on some of the smaller platforms.

"Wait, then why do you work with them?"

The man shrugged. "Trade is trade." The man said, walking away.

Despite his impending curiosity, Kaldur decided to at least explore Piltover first before he took off into the other city of Zuan. Ahri, on the other hand, was confused.

"Why do you suppose people live outside of balance with nature?"

Kaldur paused at the question, then remembered the Ionian way of doing things.

"Progress I suppose. Some people are willing to do anything to improve while others, like Ionia, understand some type of balance. Can't say I agree with either of those principals entirely but they both have their points."

Ahri cocked her head to the side at the dropping abyss before she moved to catch up with Kaldur. Returning to their original pathway, Kaldur and Ahri made their way through the many turns till they came across the Esoteric Factual at the corner of Sidereal Avenue. With the picture of a solar eclipse above the door, the double bronze doors stood below a large window that was shaped like a simple diamond. In it were cross threading bronze lines that formed a smaller diamond in the middle with a small Y in the dead center.

Wandering into the building, Kaldur was stunned by the size of the shelves that housed a cornucopia of books. At least four stories high, the library held a large room in the dead center that contained tables and chairs where the walls on the upper levels were decorated with thousands of books. On the base floor, stood multiple openings that lead to both other collections of books and the stairs that moved to the upper floors. With lanterns lighting the inside, it was a wonder there were no windows in the building.

Moving up to the first set of books, Kaldur wandered the bindings in search of anything he could recognize. While most of the books seemed written in the common tongue, with a few in Ionian and others in languages he didn't recognize, he was still disappointed that he couldn't read any of it.

"This might be a problem." Kaldur whispered. "I can't read any of this. I mean, I can read a little Ionian, but other than that…"

Ahri shook her head. "I can only read the language of the first lands. Others will be difficult."

Pulling a book off the shelf, Kaldur began to flip through it. "Great … we get all this way and now I have to spend most of my time …" Kaldur paused, looking at the words on the page.

Moving over to the front desk that stood in the corner next to the front door, Kaldur looked at the older woman who rested there.

"Do you, by any chance, have a writing utensil and an object to write on?"

The older woman gave Kaldur an odd look and pointed to the tables in the center of the larger room. Looking back, Kaldur realized that he hadn't noticed there was writing equipment on most of the tables, and that a few of them were actually desks.

"Thank you." He said as he moved to the first open table, Ahri following behind him in confusion.

Taking a seat at the table, Kaldur opened the book back to the page he had noticed the abnormality. Taking a quill with his left hand, and holding the parchment with his write, Kaldur scribbled the word "forest" onto it and held it next to the word he saw in the book.

After a bit of a look, Kaldur made a sigh of relief as he noticed that the word "forest" looked like a word in the book, with only the consonants slightly changed in symbol.

"They are the same. It just looks slightly different."

Rushing up to the woman at the desk, who was taken aback by his approach, Kaldur held up the book to her face and pointed at the word.

"Does this word mean 'forest' by any chance?"

The woman took a look at the book and then nodded her head in confirmation.

"And this one, does it stand for 'formation'?"

The woman nodded once more, confusion still lining her face.

"They are the same." Kaldur explained with excitement to Ahri. "It will take me a bit to read it, but the words are essentially the exact same words."

"That's good." Ahri acknowledged, a small smile on her face. "As you read these, I can see if any of the Ionian texts contain anything."

Putting the book back, while Ahri dived up the stairs to the second level, Kaldur began to browse the shelves for anything that hinted at the statements of 'World Rune' or otherwise. Problem was, there were hundreds of books in the first shelf that related to magic, or magical artifacts. Narrowing his search parameters, Kaldur began to select books that were of a more mysterious nature. With a collection in his hands, Kaldur moved over to the table and began to read.

It was a long process, and by the time Ahri had arrived with her own collection, excited at the fact that there were thousands of books in a single building, Kaldur had barely made it past the first few pages. As Ahri dug through her own spectacle of books, Kaldur began to write down everything that he could about runes and mystic travelers. Between the tales of aging folk, and ravages that came from the country side, it was hard to tell what was fiction and what was real when it came to mystical objects.

"Here is something." Ahri said, making Kaldur poke his head out from behind 'Crystals of the Shuriman Coast.'

Turning the book around, Kaldur was able to see a vivid picture of a piece of coastal terrain being torn by streams of red painted arcs. Taking a look at the text underneath, Kaldur realized that this was the account of an old Ionian fisherman who had seen this many centuries ago.

"Ok, cool, but how does this have to do with world runes or magically appearing people?"

"The fisherman recalled that there were objects in the world that could shape the world around them. It isn't specified what these objects are, but if they have the same potential as a world rune, that could be something."

Kaldur shrugged. "Alright, keep that one tabbed for future use. Maybe we'll run across something that explains the odd phenomenon."

"That may be hard. I looked and it seems that this book has had thousands of rewrites over the years."

"Huh, just my luck. Well, at least it's something."

Looking around, Kaldur managed to find a clock on the wall.

"At least the time's the same here. It's almost past seven, we may want to be headed out."

"Can we take them with us?" Ahri asked, an innocent look appearing on her face.

Kaldur shrugged. Walking up to the woman at the front desk, Kaldur pulled up the book.

"Is there a possibility we could check out these books?"

The woman shook her head. "Only members may remove published knowledge." She said, her voice cracking with age.

Kaldur looked back at Ahri and shook his head. With drooping ears, Ahri began to collect the books and move them to the upper storage bins that had a label telling readers to place them gently. Halting her partway, Kaldur brought forth a piece of parchment and wrote down the name of the book before she walked upstairs. Keeping the notes in his pocket, Kaldur moved to the desk and began to place his own books away.

After the books had been placed away, Ahri thanked the older woman and the two departed outside of the Esoteric Factual onto the corner of Sidereal Avenue. With a quick motion towards their inn, Kaldur was about to say something to Ahri when the loud sounds of footsteps on tile stopped him.

"Look out!" Came a high pitched male voice.

Backing up slightly and looking up, Kaldur almost jumped when he saw a man land right in front of him with an impending thud of shoes on stone.

"What is with everyone jumping in front of my face!?" Kaldur yelled as the other man got up. "That's three times today!"

"Sorry about that." The young man said standing up to stretch his back. "I mean, it's hard having a face this nice land in front of you."

The lighting was a little dark as the sun was setting, so Kaldur was not able to see the man clearly, especially with the grey fog that was lining the floor. Yet, just as he thought of backhanding the individual in front of him, the lamp posts ignited to life, revealing the strange person in front of him.

The guy was easily Kaldur's height, and with the same build and skin tone it looked like there was a copy of himself standing in the roadway, but as he gave a second look, it was quite apparent this man was different. With longer, and messier, light blond hair that spread out to his sides, the man's face was a little more chiseled than Kaldur's and his eyes were of a deeper blue. On both of the mans' cheeks, right under his eyes, were two upside down triangles that mimicked the same blue as his eyes. Wearing an odd pair of square goggles on his head, and a leather brown jacket with a large fur hood on the back that covered his tan tunic, the man also contained a pair of blue pants that looked like jeans being held up by a brown belt with a pack strap connecting to his leg. On the mans' left arm he wore a golden gauntlet that had four blue gems imbedded within it. A circular one on the back of the hand, two small ovals on the sides and a large oval gem that spanned the back of the forearm.

Shaking his head, Kaldur had an odd feeling that he had seen this man before. But he couldn't place where.

"Alright, who are you?" Kaldur asked.

"Ezreal," The man began, introducing himself. "Adventurer, artifact collector, and soon to be explorer's guild member. Now, if you don't mind, I have a bell to hide and a Feljordian to get away from."

The lightbulb went off in Kaldur's mind.

"I KNOW YOU!" He shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "You were at the island when I first appeared!"

At first, Ezreal looked at Kaldur, confusion lining his face, but after a quick moment, he too had the same look of recognition.

"Oh."


	15. Following a Lead

Chapter 14: Following a Lead

Kaldur and Ezreal stared at each other for a good minute before either one of them said a word.

"I have been looking _everywhere_ for you!" Ezreal began. "I mean, when Ryze and I had no clue where the world rune went, we had to find out something. I admit I got a little sidetracked, being in a jungle and then there was an elixir …"

"Woah, woah, woah." Kaldur interrupted. "Is Ryze the purple guy? And what in the world happened there? Better yet, how the hell do I get home?"

Ezreal raised his hands in the air in defense. "Slow down there. I am quite sure I can answer most of your questions, after all, you are looking at the most experienced adventurer in all of Piltover."

It was then that Ezreals' gaze fell upon Ahri who was standing stunned at the odd turn of events. "But more importantly," He began, sliding up next to Ahri. "Who is this?"

Taking Ahri's hand, Ezreal lifted it up to his mouth and gave it a slight kiss. "Ezreal, pleasure to meet a beautiful creature such as yourself."

Ahri was not amused. Turning to Kaldur she raised an eyebrow. "Are you twins by any chance?"

"Ha!" Kaldur laughed in disbelief. "Hardly."

Ezreal backed off and took a big grin. "If we were, I definitely got the looks in the family."

"And the mouth." Kaldur shot back.

Ahri bit her lower lip to stop from laughing.

Shaking his head at the oddity that was Ezreal, Kaldur brought the conversation to the more important questions he had on his mind.

"Ok, you have some explaining to do, starting with how I got here."

Ezreal shrugged. "Well, I mean you must have taken a boat; or traveled by land, Piltover has many entrances."

"Not Piltover you …" Kaldur took a breath. "I meant, how did I end up in Runeterra?"

"Oh I have no idea."

Kaldur paused and looked at the grinning blond.

"You just sort of … showed up." Ezreal explained, his voice removing a bit of its condescension. "When Ryze touched the rune there was a bright flash and you just appeared. After a few moments, poof, you disappeared again, along with the rune."

Kaldur sighed. "Better than nothing I guess. So, how much do you know about world runes?"

Ezreal shrugged. "At that, I can't say I am the expert. Ryze seems to know _way_ more details than I do. What is the guy like, a thousand years old? Anyway, you may want to ask him when he gets here."

"And when does this Ryze plan on getting here?"

Ezreal shrugged. "Don't know. Said he would be far to the north. I have a way to contact him, but it will take a bit. Actually …"

Moving up to Kaldur, Ezreal stared him in the face. "You don't have the world rune on you, do you?"

Kaldur looked at Ahri who shook her head, it was clear she didn't trust this man as far as she could throw him.

"Not really _on_ me."

Ezreal back up. "Uh huh. Nice try, but it's common knowledge that if you said you hid something you obviously have it on you."

Kaldur shook his head. "Buddy, you are free to search me, but you are not gonna find it."

Ezreal smiled and turned to Ahri. "You hid it on her didn't you."

Ahri was the first to react, laughing. "Oh, try and play with me, you're bound to lose."

"Oh, she's fun." Ezreal remarked, a big grin on his face.

Kaldur turned his head to see the danger behind Ahri's eyes. "I wouldn't do that."

Ezreal turned, confused. "You would think I would assault a woman?" He returned, a posh voice masking his own. "How dare you, I would never! I am too good looking to suffer the wrath of a woman on my face."

Kaldur didn't know what to say, Ezreal was the most egotistical man he had ever met, not to mention the charm that also seemed to rub him the wrong way. All in all, Kaldur was not a fan; but this man was his only lead.

"Okay, that's beside the point. You said you touched the rune, but what happened before that?" Kaldur was grabbing at straws at this point, but any clue he could gather was something.

"You know, that is actually a funny story, and I would love to tell it to you, tomorrow, but I have someplace I need to be."

Kaldur dropped his arms. "Oh, _now_ you decide to leave, after I get to the important questions."

"Well, not intentionally. I mean, I was looking for you, remember? I'll catch up with you soon, but I have to hide something before an angry Freljordian wakes up."

Kaldur paused, then shook his head. In his mind he couldn't help but think of the situations he kept getting himself into. With a quick goodbye, Ezreal took off into the streets, keeping his eyes onto the seedier alleyways.

"Well that was fun. I don't think we even gave him our names." He remarked sarcastically.

Ahri moved next to him and nodded her head. "I could use some food; and most definitely a bath."

Trying hard not to imagine a naked Ahri, all the while avoiding her devious smile, Kaldur agreed to the sentiment and the pair made their way towards the first area where Ahri could smell the food. At the edge of the southern bridge sat a small restaurant where dozens of people sat in tables under a leaning tarp. With the inside looking just as exquisite as the dishes it served, Kaldurs' stomach began to growl at the savory sensation of cured meats being steamed. Not sure how to proceed, Kaldur watched as a pair of Piltovians sat directly at a table without a word to any of the staff. Taking a cue from them, Kaldur and Ahri sat down at a table on the far end near the front door, where the smells of fresh fish and baked goods caused and aroma in the air.

It wasn't long before a young gentleman wandered to their table and asked for any simple refreshments. Kaldur, unsure about what they offered, asked to see a menu and was surprised to see a small pamphlet of actual paper arrive with a list of drinks and secondaries served with the main course. As Ahri ordered a simple cup of tea, with Kaldur following soon behind, it was an easy decision that the two would share a steak with whatever they served as the side.

With their drinks brought to them almost immediately, the pair deviated to idle conversation as their food was prepared, neither sure what to do. With their topics ranging from the events of the day to what they had learned in the library, the time passed quickly till they were distracted by the sensation of grilled steak and stewed vegetables.

"Woah." Ahri commented as the plate was brought before them, her tail swaying in anticipation.

"How much, and how do we pay?" Kaldur asked the waiter, trying not to let his naiveté show like a beacon.

"Three silvers for the meal, I deal with change and the like." He replied, a gentle nod of the head proceeding.

Reaching for Ahri's bag, she handed it over to him as she grabbed a knife and began to cut at the lamb. Taking out a golden kraken, he handed it to the man before he turned to Ahri who was stuffing her face.

"Save some for me."

Ahri made a playful growl.

Grabbing his own utensils, he dug into the same food and found that he enjoyed every bite. Sitting in quiet contemplation, the two managed to finish their food quickly and leaned back in their chairs to enjoy the sensation of a full stomach. With their change returned to them, Kaldur and Ahri stood up to leave.

"Where did he say the public baths were again?" Kaldur asked as he moved away from the tables.

Ahri shook her head. "I think I will use the private ones Finley had mentioned."

"Not like it would hurt." Kaldur began, a thought occurring to him. "We could always share it." He poked.

Ahri didn't react at first, keeping her usual smile up. "And why would I agree to that?"

"Because you've already seen me naked. Not like it's going to make much of a difference."

Ahri turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised. "You remember that?"

Kaldur shrugged. "Of that I do, but that's where my memory starts to get a little fuzzy. After that I only remember when I seemed to break the façade."

Ahri contemplated the words for a moment before shrugging off her current thoughts and returning her smile.

"I was only kidding though." Kaldur apologized. "About the bathing thing."

"It would not have worked anyway. You need one badly enough that no one would go near that room."

Kaldur cringed. "Ouch."

Ahri laughed, leading their way back to the Inn. It didn't take long to reach Finley's once more, and with an exchange of coin Ahri moved to prepare the bath while Kaldur made his way up to his room. Removing his armor and upper clothing, Kaldur reached into his closet only to discover a mirror on the inside of the left door. Curious, Kaldur pulled it farther out and stood in front of his reflection.

In general, Kaldur noticed that his figure hadn't changed that much from when he had trained with Lee Sin, and while he was still impressed that he was in a good shape, the feeling was easily stripped away at the sight of the scars that marked him. On his right chest Kaldur could still see the three-fingered handprint that had marked him in Bilgewater as the property of a madman. Letting his gaze fall upon the dozens of scars that lined his chest, sides, and back, Kaldur began to remember each and every moment that the searing pain entered him. At first it was just a bug in his mind, but the longer he looked, the harder it became to breath.

Turning away, Kaldur grabbed the towel that was folded on the end of his bed and draped it over his shoulders to cover the scars, walking away from the mirror. It wasn't long before Ahri arrived in front of his door, clean clothing and her own towel scraping the areas behind her ears.

"The water is quite warm." She said, turning to see him on the bed.

With a quick nod, Kaldur dove out the door towards the bath on the first floor, leaving Ahri behind him with a worried look. Entering the room, Kaldur barely noticed the copper tub that sat in the middle of the space as he slammed the door closed. Removing his clothing as fast as he could, Kaldur dove into the tub and sank down, grabbing the washcloth that sat on the small stool in the corner. Dipping it into the water, he began to rub along his body till he started tracing the scars along himself.

Anger began to fill Kaldur as he scraped at the scars, watching as they refused to come off. Faster and faster did he scrape till the scars glowed red with the motion on his skin. Stopping with his breath moving fast, Kaldur watched as the scars remained where they were, unmoving. Looking up at the plain ceiling, Kaldur let his mind drift as his anger subsided, wanting to feel nothing.

By the time Kaldur got out of the bath, he was no longer in the mood to do anything else and thus he went straight to bed. Taking his worries to sleep, Kaldur woke up the next morning surprised that the sun was high in the sky and he hadn't woken up earlier.

Turning to his right, Kaldur watched as the mechanical clock ticked well past nine in the morning. Bolting out of bed, Kaldur got dressed and moved out of his room to knock on Ahri's door.

"Ahri, we need to get going. We need to find that Ezreal guy."

There was no response.

"Ahri?"

Near the stairs, the chime of the main door rang and a voice that sounded just like Ahri's began to echo through the hallways. Moving to the head of the stairs, Kaldur looked down to see Ahri standing in the doorway next to a grumpy Ezreal.

"I mean, how could they not accept me after that?" Ezreal complained. "Not only did I bring them an Ochnun bell and an elixir, but I prevented the rise of a dread lord. What more could they want?"

"Why didn't you wake me?" Kaldur asked Ahri as he moved down the stairs, interrupting Ezreal's rant. "And what's his problem?"

"Nothing much." She shrugged. "I didn't wish to wake you as I thought you needed more rest."

Turning to Ezreal, Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "Good to know the guy's got a semi-serious side."

Ezreal scoffed. "I assure you I can be serious!"

Kaldur shook his head. "You owe me some answers. And this time, you are not leaving my side till I get them."

Ezreal made a charming smile. "You're in luck, I was planning on having you stay with me anyway."

Kaldur paused with a questioning look on his face and turned to face Ahri.

"He has a house here in south Piltover." Ahri explained. "It requires no charge so long as we agree to not leave until Ryze arrives."

"It's not technically my house." Ezreal specified. "It actually belongs to my uncle, but while we are there we have a plethora of resources we can use to figure out what happened."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow at Ahri who gave a comforting smile. "This is your choice. I will help you wherever that leads."

Kaldur thought for a moment on the topic, debating the only lead he had in contention with the lack of trust he had for Ezreal. Taking another look at the smiling man, he made a regretful sigh.

"Alright." Kaldur answered. "But anything I don't like and we leave, got it?"

Ezreal made a large grin before making a small salute with two fingers. "You have yourself a deal."

Ezreal paused for a moment then looked at Kaldur. "You know, I never actually got your name. I got hers earlier today, but she failed to mention yours."

"Kaldur." Kaldur introduced.

Reading the entire conversation from start to finish, Finley had already brought out his papers and change by the time Kaldur even remembered that he needed to check out with the older gentleman. With Ahri and himself checked out, and their belongings brought with them, the trio left Finley's with an odd aura filling the air between them. Taking a left at the front door and squaring off at Sidereal Avenue a few blocks in, Ezreal led them both through the busy streets till they came across a large gated courtyard. Entering the gates and walking along the cobblestone path towards the buildings Ezreal began to explain where it was they were.

"This is only a wing of the university, usually meant for people such as my uncle to reside, but he doesn't stay here as often so I have free reign to store my artifacts and conduct my research without issues."

"How much have you stored here?" Kaldur asked watching as the small trees parted to reveal an elaborate mansion.

The building itself was created of mainly marble and quarts barricades with bronze seals that outlined the windows, doors and other moving parts. Standing at three stories, the building itself was a long rectangular shape with a center entrance that stood under a triangular covering and a red roof that brought out the blue in the windows coloring.

"It is one of the lesser of the buildings around here, but it fits what I do so I can't complain much."

Rolling his eyes, Kaldur meandered in through the front door as Ezreal held it aloft, and was surprised to see a bright lit center room. With a hextech chandelier above them, the entry room comprised of two stories where there were two stairways on either side that curved in a semi-circle which connected to the upper level. On the upper level sat an expunged balcony that overlooked the main lobby while a pathway lead to a set of double doors on the first floor underneath the balcony. With two smaller doors on his left and right, Kaldur watched as a pair of servants lead their way across the upper level, both keeping their eyes averted from the crew that had just entered.

"No one should be using the guest rooms at all. I can have Jilan set you up both with an individual room."

"Are there rooms that are across from one another?" Ahri asked. Keeping her gaze at anything that moved.

Ezreal smiled. "I can do you one better. There are a few rooms that are connected by a door which are right next to each other. They used to be used for bodyguards and such."

Ahri nodded. "That's much better."

Snapping his fingers, Ezreal called out a servants name and in came an older woman with a few strands of grey in her red hair from the left most door. Wearing a set of half moon spectacles, and a clean black single piece that covered her from her neck to her feet, the woman had a stern look on her face that showed no hints of humor.

"Kaldur, Ahri, this is Jilan. She's looked after me as long as I can remember."

With a small curtsey, Jilan looked up at the pair as if inspecting them. "Pleasure."

Kaldur nodded in return. "Nice to meet you ma'am."

"Do you mind setting them up with one of the connecting rooms? They are going to be here for a while."

Immediately turning to the stairs, Jilan beckoned for the two to follow her.

"Head along and get yourselves settled in. I have a few things I need to grab and I'll come get you when I'm ready."

Following Jilan, Ahri and Kaldur worked their way upwards to what they assumed was the eastern side of the mansion. After a couple of skipped rooms, and a change in turns, Kaldur was introduced to a large set of double doors that brought him to a large bedroom decorated in lavish attire. With colored drapes covering the windows, a large hextech lantern embedded in the ceiling, and more furniture than a normal dining room, Kaldur felt like it was far too much to take in all at once. In the center of the far wall, a king sized bed lay connected with a large nightstand next to it sporting a clock and a lantern all on its own. With a large oak-wood desk by the window and a closet that could fit twelve of himself, there was very little space that stood unused.

"Your room is connected to the door on your right mistress Ahri." Jilan explained, her voice cold. "I assume you need no explanation on the use of the hextech that resides in your room."

Ahri aimed her gaze at Jilan and returned a cold smile. "I believe I can manage."

"I will take my leave then." Jilan bid farewell, closing the door behind her.

Resting his still packed bag in the closet, Kaldur sat down as Ahri opened the connecting door to peruse her own bedroom.

"It is quite … extravagant." She observed, making a scrunched up face that Kaldur could easily see.

"One of those things that feels a bit much."

Ahri nodded in agreement. "But it does offer us to see what others live like."

Kaldur chuckled. "I've seen this type of living style in my own world. Normally they were filled with rich pricks. Though I suppose that wouldn't change much in this world either."

Shrugging her shoulders, Ahri continued to examine her room when a knock came at his door.

"Hey, it's Ezreal. You guys ready? I have a place we can talk."

Opening the door, the pair closed up their rooms and followed a cheery Ezreal towards the main entrance. Taking a turn to the main floor, Ezreal lead them through the under passage into the center room that lay behind the bronze double doors which Kaldur first noticed as he entered the building. The room they entered was a study that sat with many shelves filled with hundreds of books. If it were not for the fireplace and the chairs that sat in front of it, Kaldur would have mistaken this place for a library with the sheer amount of books.

Grabbing a pair of books off the shelves, Ezreal rounded the corner of one of the shelves and lead the pair to the far corner of the room. Approaching the dead end, Ezreal reached out and grabbed the handle of the small hextech torch that leaned out against the wall. With a small flashing glow from his gauntlet, Kaldur watched as the wall in front of them slid aside to reveal a stairway that lead down into the dark.

With a small smirk Ezreal began to walk down the steps. "Can't be a true adventurer without a secret passage of your own."

Following him down the steps, Kaldur turned around just in time to see the passage close behind them surrounding them in darkness. As if with the same thought, each person began to emanate a light of their own; Kaldur creating a small knife, Ahri with an orb, and one glow from the crystal in Ezreals gauntlet.

"I still keep some of the artifacts I have collected on public display in many of the other rooms or in the courtyard if they aren't too dangerous, but some of the crazy ones I keep down here." Ezreal explained, a sour note filling his voice as he continued. "Hopefully the collection will give the Explorers Guild a reason to actually accredit me, but it seems they want to debate about how these items were 'acquired' before they make any decisions."

"Maybe," Kaldur began. "It has something to do with your attitude?"

Ezreal laughed. "Or maybe they're just jealous that they don't have as many items as I do."

"Oh, I am sure that must be what it is." Kaldur remarked sarcastically.

Taking the winding stairway down, the three members found straight ground when the lights in the hallway before them lit up, revealing a bright passage with doors on either side of them. Heading to the far end of the hallway, Ezreal opened up the steel and wooden door to reveal a messy room filled with papers. With charts, maps, and strings attached to the walls, and books with many navigational items lining the desks, it was definitely someplace that Ezreal seemed to use a lot.

Moving over to the walls, Kaldur observed a map that lit Shurima as the main title with many scribbles and notes stapled to it; one of them reading 'Ne-zuk?' as he passed his hands over it.

"Already found that one." Ezreal remarked. "That's where I got this Gauntlet." He said, holding up his left hand. "Never leave home without it."

Taking a seat in front of Ezreals desk, the man shoved away a few of his papers and placed the two books he picked up from his library down on the table. Reaching into his desk, he pulled out a few scrolls that were wrapped in a silk container and plopped them next to the books.

"Now, first: would you mind telling me where the world rune went?"

Kaldur and Ahri exchanged looks.

"How about you tell me what happened when you first met up with the rune, and then my explanation of where it went might make more sense to you." Kaldur answered, returning his attention to Ezreal.

Shrugging, Ezreal swung his hands behind his head and leaned back. "I suppose I could tell a story."

"It all started with a few rumors I heard when talking to a few of my friends in Zuan." Ezreal began. "Each of these folks were taking about a priceless treasure hidden on what was known as the shadow isles, and some of them were debating as to whether they should risk the wrath of the undead to go and get it. Naturally I was interested, and not scared in the least, so I 'persuaded' them to give me any details they could and set out to the Isles as soon as I could."

"Well I first had to get a ship from Bilgewater that would take me there. You see I knew this guy who…"

"How about you skip to when you got to the island." Kaldur interrupted.

"Right, right. Well, I arrived on the shores of the older blessed isles, as they were once called, and had to convince a few ghosts as to where the mysterious treasure was located. A few of them wouldn't tell me, but one with a large shovel did hear that something older than the isles itself had made it onto the isles and it was causing a problem. So, the kind ghost leads me to where he thinks it's located, not counting the dozens of hurtles that came for me there. I mean seriously, that half horse creature was kind of a pain to get past, but once I did it was a straight shot to the temple."

Taking a pause to think, Ezreal finally took a breath before continuing. "So, as I was saying, I go down into the cavern, unseal a few doors that were easy to break through and lo and behold: a rune was floating just above a small pedestal in a large cavern."

Kaldur leaned forward.

"I go into the room and reach for the rune when a loud voice stops me, and who does it turn out to be? Well the purple skinned mage himself, Ryze. He isn't really well known, well not as well-known as myself, but there are a few records in my uncles' study of a man with his description around Runeterra, and they all have the same name. I make the connection and tell him to shove off. Well that didn't go well with him, kind of a grumpy person really, but he tries to tell me that if I touch the rune I am screwed, and boy do I wish I listened."

"Well there was a bit of an interruption dealing with a spider lady and a burning man, so I grab the rune, realizing that my trusty gauntlet could hold it, and we take off. After a scuffle we beat our opponents and he teleports us out of here; kind of cheap as that is my move but whatever; and he tells me to give him the rune. Well, I don't trust him, but he did know that it would try to corrupt me, so he couldn't have been all bad, so after an agreement was made I hand him the rune and that's where all hell breaks loose."

Pointing up at the sky, Ezreal looks straight at Kaldur. "This is not my fault, by the way. It was when _Ryze_ touched the rune that there was a flash and you appeared. He did say something about the rune having void magic on it, but at that point I wasn't sure what he was talking about."

Kaldur leaned forward onto the desk and folded his hands together, resting his head in his hands. Taking all the information in, he looked up at Ezreal.

"Well that explains a few things."

"I hope so." Ezreal commented. "So, _now_ will you tell me where the world rune is?"

Leaning back Kaldur looked Ezreal straight in the eyes. "You're looking at it."

Ezreal paused for a moment and looked at Kaldur, confusion on his face.

"The world rune is within me, Ezreal." Kaldur explained. "I was a little shocked to figure that out, but so far all it has done is give me powers I never even knew I could do."

Ezreal broke out into a hard laughter. "You expect me to believe that the world rune is actually inside you?" Ezreal kept laughing.

Kaldur looked at Ahri. "You know, I have become so used to the fact that people take crazy magical stuff for granted I never actually thought that some would still be unbelievable."

"It's not you." Ezreal answered, taking in a few breaths from his laughter. "Ryze told me on our way to Bilgewater that a world rune corrupts all who try to covet its power. I mean, the fire man I fought on the island is a testament to that; and that man only had a shard of one in him."

Reaching over to the red leather-bound book on the table, Ezreal opened the book to a bookmarked page and slid it in front of Kaldur.

"Read that."

Kaldur looked down at the page and first noticed the bookmark that was a rental stub with a return date for the Esoteric Factual library. "It says you're a year past your return date."

Ezreal snatched the stub with a disgruntled look on his face. "What's under it."

With a smile on his face, Kaldur looked back at the book to see a rough sketch of a man emblazoned in flame, scorching the earth beneath him as he hovered in the air. The account was a century old, but it seemed that this was not the first sighting of this creature in the world.

"Ryze calls him Brand. Apparently this creature comes around every so often when he senses a world rune so he can consume its power. Not sure what the entire deal is, but Ryze seems to know what he is talking about when it comes to this stuff, which makes your story about the world being _in_ you seem a little farfetched."

Kaldur shrugged. "Believe what you want then. I told you where it is. It's the reason you saw me conjure that knife not ten minutes ago."

Ezreal looked straight at Kaldur for a moment before the realization suddenly kicked in. "You're not kidding, are you?"

It was Ahri who responded, shaking her head. "No. All you have heard is the truth."

Ezreal slumped unto his chair, staring off into space. "Well that throws everything out of perspective."

"As far as I know, I have this power. But it doesn't seem to cause me to do anything I wouldn't normally do. The only thing I currently desire is to get home, and help my friend along the way."

Ezreal stood up, shaking his head and grabbing the second book, flipping through a few pages before he said a word.

"Well, I don't know about getting you home. It definitely has something to do with the rune, but I wouldn't know how to look at it if it is inside you."

Kaldur walked around the room for a moment and tried to think about what Ezreal had told him, and everything he had learned before that. Reaching the side of the room, he began to trace a map of Zuan before an idea struck him.

"You said you heard about the world rune from a rumor, right?"

Ezreal looked up from his book. "… yeah?"

"And you said that the ghost you talked to said that the rune was placed on the Isle recently?"

"Yes … but what does that have to …" Ezreals' face lit up with understanding. "You think that someone placed that rune there, and in turn started the rumors."

Kaldur shrugged. "It's a guess. If someone did, that person might know why the rune pulled me from my world, and possibly how to get back there."

"Well that's a start." Ezreal smiled. "But I am good at finding artifacts, not necessarily people."

"Do you know who it was you heard the rumor from?" Ahri asked, standing up from the chair.

"Yeah, I know him, but it will take me a bit to find him. He doesn't always hang out in the Boundary Markets. Sometimes he is in the Entresol Level, but sometimes he's also on the surface to enjoy the pleasantries from up here."

"How long do you think it will take to find him?"

Ezreal shrugged with a small smile. "I'm well known around here. If he hears I'm looking for him, he's sure to pop his head up somewhere."

Ahri raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure the inverse won't happen?"

"Come on, how hard could it be?"

In a twisted fit of irony, Ezreals task was far more difficult than he had played it off to be, and by the time the week was up, Ezreal had lost all track of the man himself. Letting the man be to his work, Kaldur and Ahri took the time to conduct their own research about the house of Ezreals' uncle, Professor Lymere. While Kaldur was impatient to proceed with the search for Ezreals lead, he also had a nagging doubt keep him in check with the thoughts of what would happen if he actually left this world; as such he distracted himself with learning the slight differences in the words of the common tongue compared to his own. With a little help from Ahri, and a bit of dedicated lecturing from Jilan, he was able to read the texts at a normal pace by the time the week was up.

While most of the days progressed at an even pace, it was easy to tell when things changed as Ezreal came barging into the study room one grey morning, a sour look on his face. Taking a seat at one of the sofa's near where Kaldur sat, Ezreal put his feet up on the small table in the center and stared at the ceiling.

"Can't find him, huh?" Kaldur asked as he kept his eyes glued to the pages of his most recent find about the history of Shuriman culture.

"How can a slime like, Farinson be so hard to find in a city of this size? He wouldn't leave that harbor, the guy has to many connections here."

"Ever thought about asking the cops?" Kaldur asked as he flipped a page.

"Good luck with that. They don't like me much either. Can't see why as I have stopped many a would-be disaster from destroying the city, but still."

"Kaldur, what about that sheriff and her partner we met the first day we were here?" Ahri asked, removing her gaze from the confines of her Ionian poetry.

Kaldur paused for a moment and looked up to think, trying to recall her name. "Caitlyn? Thought you didn't like her?"

Ahri's eyes flared a little.

Kaldur raised his hands in defense. "Sorry."

Ezreal made an uncomfortable laugh. "Yeah, no can do. She is not my biggest fan."

"Who is?" Kaldur remarked under his breath.

Ezreal narrowed his eyes at Kaldur, but otherwise ignored the comment. "She might not want to help me anyway."

Kaldur closed his book and set it on the table. "Well she might help me then. But I don't know this guy so you're gonna have to come with me."

Ezreal groaned. "Fine, but leave me out of the conversation if you can."

Standing up, the trio left Ezreal's abode and took to the streets of the dreary morning. While the streets were wet with the previous days rain, it didn't make Piltover any less busy; for them, time was money. Making the half an hour journey to the Northern side of the city, Ezreal led them to the large building that stood as Piltovers' Hall of Law. Coming through the thick steel doors, Kaldur came face to face with a large gilded chamber that lead to many different hallways with the center containing a round desk with a single young man sitting at it.

As they entered the area, the middle-aged man looked up from something in his hands and raised an eyebrow.

"If Vi catches you in here Ezreal, I can't be held responsible for what happens to you."

Ezreal raised his hands in innocence. "Come on, Harknor, she can't be still mad about that can she?"

Harknor waved his hands dismissively. "Your funeral. She and Caitlyn are finishing up a slew of paperwork which means they are not going to be in the mood to deal with your crap."

"Well as much fun as that would be, I am not the one who's looking for them."

Harknor looked up from his sheet again and raised an eyebrow. Kaldur stepped forward and waved at the other man, holding out his hand in greeting.

"That would be me. I'm Kaldur, nice to meet you."

Harknor reached over the counter and shook his hand. "Who are you looking for again?"

"Caitlyn. I ran into her on my first day in Piltover. She told me who she was, and since I need a little help I figured she would be the person to ask."

"What help do you need?" Harknor asked, suspicion lining his voice.

"To find someone. It's a little personal, so I hope you don't mind if I tell Caitlyn herself."

Harknor scoffed. "Well that will definitely improve her mood, Vi's too if she goes along. Just wait by the benches and she'll be out soon."

Taking a seat on the smooth benches that rested near the entrance, the trio waited for a good half hour before the first sign of a voice came out. From the upper floors.

"I swear," came Vi's voice as she and Caitlyn came walking down the stairs. "If I have to fill out another sheet that says: 'Unnecessary roughness' as a subclause to me doing my job, I am going to strangle someone."

Caitlyn just shook her head as they reached the bottom of the stairs, walking over to Harknor. "Well, aren't we having a pleasant day." He greeted.

"Oh, very pleasant." Vi answered. "I was just recalling a dream I had …"

"No, no, no." Harknor interrupted. "We are not doing this again. I have heard enough of your fantasies to last a lifetime."

"You say that every time." Caitlyn interjected. "I would actually like to see what happens when you let her tell the story."

"I am sure you would; but, unfortunately, you have guests." He said, pointing to Kaldur and the crew.

It took a moment for Caitlyn to recognize Kaldur, but after a moment, her eyes glowed with recognition.

"Kaldur! It's been a while." She said as she moved closer to him.

"Not long enough for this one though!" Vi yelled, darting towards Ezreal.

Ezreal made an uncomfortable laugh as his gauntlet hummed with a charge; and the moment Vi made a motion to grab Ezreal there was a quick pop and he was on the other side of the room. It took a moment for Kaldur to realize what Ezreal had done, and the gravity of his words days before. The man could teleport.

"Vi. How goes it?"

"Well." Vi smiled. It was clear it wasn't a happy smile. "Now face me you makeshift pretty boy!"

"I'd love to, but my friend needs yours and Caitlyns help. Can we calm down for a few minutes?"

"I'll calm down when your face gets pummeled in!"

It wasn't much, but Kaldur could swear that he heard a small squeak come out of Ezreals voice before he disappeared outside of the door, Vi hot on his trail.

"So, I take it you are not the one that has a problem with the guy?" Kaldur asked as he watched Caitlyn rub her eyes with frustration.

"Not really."

"They gonna stop enough to calm down? I kind of need the guy."

Caitlyn shrugged. "They will get it out of their system soon enough. Ezreal didn't do anything illegal, per say, but he has pushed my partner one too many times."

"I see." Kaldur responded, unsure as to when 'soon enough' was going to be.

"So, you wanted to see me?" Caitlyn said, returning her smile.

"Yes, I need your help to find someone."

"You could have just put in a report and the hall would have gotten to it."

Kaldur twirled his hands a little. "True, but I figured it would be better if I asked someone I know rather than leave it to people I am unfamiliar with."

"It is not necessarily the way we do things, but I am sure Vi and myself can help. This man didn't do anything wrong I suppose?"

"Not really. I just need some information to help me find what I am looking for and this guy apparently knows something."

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing bad, I promise." Kaldur reacted, raising his hands up defensively. "If it was I wouldn't have come to the law."

Caitlyn sighed. "I suppose you have a point. What does this person look like?"

"That's why I need Ezreal." Kaldur nodded uncomfortably.

"Oh." Caitlyn remarked. "That might take some time. We may want to get something to eat and wait them out."

Kaldur shrugged and looked at Ahri who was busy ignoring the conversation or, rather, ignoring Caitlyn. Tapping her on the shoulder to bring her back into the fold, Kaldur turned to Caitlyn and nodded his head.

"I think we can do that."

"Alright then. I know a café on the Mainspring Crescent, it is an easy walk from here."

Kaldur beckoned for her to lead on, and the pair followed Caitlyn out of the building towards the crowded streets on Northern Piltover. After a few turns and a small trek, the group found their way to a busy street where people of all different types wandered in and out of bustling cinemas and theatres, while others lounged in the seats on the side of the roadway where the smell of coffee filled the area.

"Smells like coffee." Kaldur remarked.

"You know it?" Caitlyn asked, surprised.

"I have something very similar where I come from." He responded.

Taking a seat at the outside tables, Caitlyn called over a server and handed him a few coins before the young man darted away.

"I can pay you back."

Caitlyn raised her hand. "My treat."

Shrugging, Kaldur watched as the people around him shifted and turned in the monogamy of day to day life.

"So, is this what Piltovians do in their free time." He asked, trying to shirk the silence that began to brew.

"Not always. There are many things that people due to pass the time, but most of the time they are attempting to hone their craft. For most people in Piltover, their work is their life. They enjoy it, hate it, struggle through it, but in the end, it leads to progress. That's what drives them."

"Interesting. I wasn't sure as we are normally on the move. I don't think I have really had time to relax for … a while."

"You do look like a sump spot of tension."

Kaldur shook his head at the slang term, remembering that most people's language had terms he wouldn't recognize off the bat.

"I keep telling him that." Ahri intervened as she watched the server bring forth the drinks and place them in front of the group. "He refuses to acknowledge that he needs rest."

Kaldur shrugged. "Greeeaaat. Now I have two people telling me what's good for me. All I need is an Ezreal to say that and I'm all set."

As if on que, there was a quiet pop in the seat next to Kaldur, and in came an out of breath Ezreal.

"Is she around here?" He asked, looking around in panic.

"No, I haven't seen her for a bit." Caitlyn said, taking a sip of her coffee.

Ezreal leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes and faced his head upwards. "I don't know how many more of those I have in me. That woman chases me down like I killed her pet!"

"Just be glad you are not Jinx. Vi will not let you go, ever, if you were her."

"Yeah, I remember that story." He said, breathing hard.

"Now that you're here, Ezreal, you mind telling Caitlyn the description of the guy so we can get on with this?"

Leaning forward, and taking a swallow, Ezreal nodded. "His name is Farinson. The man is a Zuanite native, only augment is a breathing apparatus that keeps the fog at bay. He occasionally lives up top, but is known to do work for Lenare sometimes in the lower levels."

Caitlyn paused for a moment. "Is he about six feet, has a lisp to his voice, and wears a stylized red and grey overcoat?"

"Yep, that's him."

Setting down her coffee, Caitlyn crossed her legs under the table and looked at Kaldur. "I saw him earlier the other day. It looks like he's been fancying a few of the finer establishments here in the Mainspring. We are near where I saw him last. If we wait here, I can spot him when he comes by."

"Sounds like a plan. Ahri, what do you think?" Turning around, he was surprised to witness his friend down the rest of her coffee and set the cup to the side with a satisfied look on her face.

"Ahri and coffee …" He commented under his breath, wondering what the consequences of such a mixture could be.

"There you are!" came a loud voice that startled the crew out of their thoughts.

Spinning around, Kaldur watched as an angry Vi came trudging up to the table, her gloves reacting to the rage in her voice. Shoving away from the chair and the table, Ezreal raised his hands up to protect himself.

"Come on Vi, we can talk about this?"

"I will not …" Vi began but stopped the moment Caitlyn stepped in between them.

"Wait until the job is done." Caitlyn advised. "After that it won't matter."

"But he …" Vi protested.

"It's not something that can't be solved tomorrow. Remember, to hunt something you have to give them the illusion that they are safe."

Vi raised a finger to her partner. "Don't start with that hunting advice nonsense."

"Am I wrong?" Caitlyn asked.

Vi took a long sigh before she responded. "Fine. But when the job is done Ez, you're mine!"

"I will be waiting in earnest." Ezreal commented, worry under his tone.

"Now that we got that out of the way, we can …" Kaldur stopped mid-sentence. "Where's Ahri?"

Caitlyn pointed to the roof of the café. "She seems to have the right idea."

Kaldur looked up to see his friend sitting cross legged on the roof with her eyes scanning the crowd, an energy in her eyes.

"So _that_ is an Ahri with coffee." He commented to himself. "Good to know."  
After a few moments, the group sat back down at the table, Ahri still watching on the roof, as they each tried to find a way to pass the time. While the tension in the air between Ezreal and Vi seemed to not have abated during the entire time, it didn't stop the flow if pleasant conversation between the members as they each tried to get to know one another. While Kaldur tried to avoid anything that would let Caitlyn or Vi know he was from another world, he did try to keep the falsehoods to a minimum in order to keep them from distrusting him. Ezreal, on the other hand, had a hard time keeping his mouth shut about his own adventures, which was of more than an annoyance to Vi.

"So, as I stood there, I couldn't help but stare as the army just closed in around me. But, of course, this wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"I am sure it wasn't." Vi remarked sarcastically, keeping her eyes on the crowd.

"As I was saying," Ezreal continued, shooting a glance at Vi. "So there I was surrounded …"

It was in this moment that Ahri dropped from the roof. Landing gracefully next to Kaldur, she raised her hand and pointed into the crowd.

"He's here." She said, keeping her eyes on the target.

"Alright," Caitlyn began. "Ezreal, from what you said, Farinson will most likely run if he sees you. Kaldur should be the one to ask him. He definitely will not want to see either Vi or myself, so we will keep our distance. Ahri, since you are not known either, you can go with Kaldur."

Taking a deep breath, Kaldur watched as Vi, Caitlyn, and Ezreal disappeared into the crowd. Ahri, who never let her eyes off the target, grabbed Kaldur by the sleeve and started leading him through the people. After a few moments of weaving, Kaldur managed to spot the man who they were talking about. Dressed in a large grey and red overcoat, with a bald head and a large breathing device stuck to the man's lower face, Kaldur could see that the man was definitely hard to miss. With his head towering above the group of people working to and from, the man in a sense of irony did not seem that menacing despite his size.

Making their way to Farinson, Kaldur tapped him gently on the arm forcing the man to turn in curiosity. "Meh I help you?" The man asked.

"Hello, are you Farinson by any chance?"

"Whothe athking?" The man wondered, his voice betraying a slight lisp.

"Names Kaldur." Kaldur introduced. "I just have a few questions that I hope you can answer. Can you spare a few minutes?"

"You're not going to athk me anything illegal are you?" The man asked, he seemed afraid.

"No, you don't even have to leave the area. I'm just trying to find someone."

"Who are you trying to find?"

"Someone who may have given you a rumor many months back."

"I get many rumorth. You have to be more thpethific."

"It has to do with a rare treasure, one that was said to be on the Shadow Isles."

Farinson froze in place, the crowd of people parting their place like water splitting away from a rock in its path.

"I don't recall that rumor. You may be talking about thomeone elth."

Kaldur shook his head, it was obvious this man was hiding something, but he wasn't sure what.

"I know it was you who received the rumor. I am not going to try and get you in trouble, but I need to know who passed it to you."

Farinson's breath began to increase in speed. "I … I don't know what you're talking about."

Kaldur wasn't sure how to react. Raising his hands he attempted to calm the man down. "Relax Farinson, I'm not going to do anything to you."

"It … It'th not you I'm worried about."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "Who are you worried about."

Farinson started to back away, moving in growing pace away from Kaldur. "I … I can't be here. I have to go."

"Farinson, please, I need your help."

The man ran. Shoving past the many people in his way, Farinson shook through the crowd with ease as he barreled his way south.

Cursing under his breath, Kaldur turned to Ahri. "I'll keep on him if you can cut him off. I don't know where he is headed but maybe the rest can see where he's at."

With a nod, Ahri darted to the roofs of the ensuing buildings and began to move, while Kaldur tried to shove his way through the crowd. Clearing through the first wave of people, Kaldur watched as the tall man began to head uphill towards the main bridge, making sure to aim for the smaller alleyways. Building his magic in his legs, Kaldur sprinted towards Farinson at full speed, catching up to the man. With a small pop in front of him, Ezreal appeared as Kaldur dashed towards his target.

"He knows something, but he's running! Catch him!" Kaldur yelled.

With a nod, Ezreal began to teleport onto the roofs, trying to keep track of the man as he began to disappear into the thin alleyways. With a quick spin to the right, Kaldur pushed himself off the wall into the narrow street as he watched the taller man wind his way through the passages. With every turn Farinson took, Kaldur followed, making sure to keep track of where he went. Bending around a tight corner Kaldur watched as Farinson was about to turn another corner but reacted to the right instead as Ezreal appeared in front of him.

Darting to the right, Kaldur watched as the man reached under his jacket and pulled out some type of gun that he had not seen before mid-run. With a small whirring sound, there was the spark of electricity and the weapon fired at the roof tiles above him. With a small explosion, the tiles fell atop Kaldur. Raising a shield to block the debris, Kaldur pushed his way through the dust and came to see a three way intersection and no Farinson in sight.

Stopping to look, there was a small pop as Ezreal appeared next to him, breathing hard.

"How do you … lose a guy that big?" Ezreal commented.

Giving Ezreal an annoyed look, Kaldur turned down the alley to the left and began to run before he heard he footsteps of his partner on the roof.

"He's heading for the bridge. Take this path and find the route out." Ahri directed as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Taking her lead, Kaldur and Ezreal bolted through the alleyway and made a right hand turn till they reached the open Bridgeway where a tall Farinson was heading straight for the southern entrance. Sprinting to catch up, Kaldur was so focused on his target that he almost didn't notice that Vi was standing in front of Farinson much like a blockade. Slowing down at the sight of Vi, Farinson tried to find a way around but was cut short.

With a loud bang, and an electrical shocking sound, Farinson froze stiff as something hit him from the side, causing electrical ripples to circle around him like a net. The shock only lasted for a moment before he tumbled down to the ground, stunned.

Catching up to the downed Farinson, Kaldur watched as Caitlyn walked up to them, her rifle sizzling in her hand.

"Please tell me you didn't kill him?" Kaldur asked. Trying to feel Farinson for a pulse.

"Of course not. That was my special round. Incapacitates targets."

Reading a pulse on Farinson, Kaldur looked at the man to watch as he came to.

"Farinson. Hey, Farinson can you hear me?"

"I … I can't tell you. They will kill me!"

Kaldur looked up at Caitlyn who stood over the man.

"Who will kill you?" Caitlyn asked, slinging her rifle over her shoulder.

"I don't know." He responded, tears welling up in his eyes. "They told me they would kill me if I thaid anything about the rumors."

"Alright Farinson, listen to me." Caitlyn began, kneeling down to the mans' side. "I can put you under the protection of the Sherriff's Department, but you have to tell me who told you that rumor."

"No, no, no…" Farinson began.

Leaning in, Caitlyn rested a hand on the side of his face. "Farinson, please."

With tears on his face, and fear in his eyes, Farinson turned to look up at Kaldur.

"It wath that kid, Ekko. You know, the one they thaid broke time."

Kaldur looked up at Vi, Caitlyn, Ahri, and Ezreal who stood in just as much confusion as he.

"Who is Ekko?"


	16. Mysteries in the Fog

Chapter 15: Mysteries in the Fog

"Who is Ekko?" Kaldur asked again.

"He's known as the boy who shattered time." Caitlyn explained, lifting up Farinson. "A year or so ago there came word from the underside of Zaun that a boy got a hold of, or built for himself, a device that could change time. No one knows if it is true or not, but many people want to talk with him about his invention."

"Or take if for themselves." Vi remarked.

"Oh, it's true alright." Ezreal smiled. "Kid's got me out of a few problems down near the sumps. It's like watching someone know what is going to happen before it actually happens. Pretty cool, but I don't really need something like that."

"Okay, then what are we supposed to do about this?" Kaldur asked. "Based on Farinsons reaction, this just got far more complicated then I intended to go."

"He has a point." Ezreal agreed. "This means that someone is hiding something. And while I am eager to find out what it is, I would rather not dive straight into Zaun without a parachute."

Caitlyn shook her head. "I'm sorry to say Kaldur, this is the best I can do for you. Our jurisdiction ends at the Promenade. If Vi or myself started poking around below, we could be causing undo trouble."

Kaldur thought about it for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "I understand. Just take care of Farinson. I'll figure something out."

With a smile, Caitlyn carefully took Farinson away as Vi followed behind, turning around only briefly to motion a threat to Ezreal.

Ezreal swallowed.

After the Sherriff's disappeared in the crowd of people, Kaldur turned back to Ahri who was staring across the bridge, a worried look upon her face.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, stepping beside her.

"I dislike this situation." She began. "You're only clue to how you return is finding a child who tampers with time; and that is not even the worst part."

Kaldur took a breath to gather his thoughts. "I know. But from where I stand it sounds like someone wanted me to be here. I don't know why he does; heck I don't even know why he's trying to cover it up. But I have to do something."

In the same moment, Ahri and Kaldur looked at each other, both into the others eyes. It was only for a fleeting moment, but Kaldur noticed that his heart began to beat a step faster. Taking a step forward, Kaldur began to move towards her, but as soon as he did so, the doubts in his mind returned. Moving past Ahri towards the edge of the bridge, Kaldur rested his arms across railing and looked out at the horizon.

"Why's that?" Ezreal asked, leaning his back against the railing himself.

Kaldur shook his head from his current thoughts and remembered what he was saying.

"Because I don't want to be a pawn in someone else's game. I've had enough of that." Taking a bigger sigh, Kaldur turned to look at Ezreal. "And if this person, whoever he is, brought me here, then you can be sure that he wants to use me; somehow."

Ezreal made a low whistle. "You need to lighten up. Maybe it was just an accident. Sometimes rumors are stupid, you never know."

"Do you really believe that?" Kaldur asked. "I don't think it's mere coincidence that a rumor got started to bring you to the island where I just so happened to appear. Not to mention the fact that someone is threatening people to keep it quiet. I mean, didn't you agree with me not five minutes ago?"

Ezreal shrugged. "I just said that to get on Vi's good side. That woman terrifies me."

Kaldur's mouth dropped a little in shock, staring at Ezreal.

Ezreal raised his hands in defense. "It's not like I don't see your logic, I just don't think it's a good idea to go rushing headlong into things."

"Is that not all you ever do?" Ahri asked.

"Yeah, well, it's ok when _I_ do it, but not when someone else does it and drags me along."

"You're an ass, you know that?" Kaldur said, shaking his head.

"Yes, but I am a handsome ass."

Kaldur couldn't help but laugh a little. "Your words really don't match your actions sometimes."

Ezreal smiled.

Taking another breath to relax himself, and pushing off the railing, Kaldur turned to Ahri and Ezreal with a small grin of his own.

"So, who's ready to find a kid in an underground city?"

Striking an agreement, the trio made their way to Ezreal's abode where they readied themselves to delve into the lower levels of the Zaun underground. With his gear tacked on, and a little bit of money stored away to use in the lower city, Kaldur met with Ahri and Ezreal at the entrance to his house.

"You're going to want these." He said, handing the two of them what looked to be gas masks that only covered the mouth and the nose.

"Zaun's fog is dense, and can cause you to be sick, or even die, if you are not either augmented or prepared. Since I like my features without attachments, I use these to prevent the fog from killing me."

Kaldur took it and flashed back as he saw many people walking around without masks in the lower levels. "I take it some of them are immune to it?"

"Only those born in Zaun." Ezreal specified. "They have lived in that fog their entire life. Some even believe that the air aboveground is too thin to live in."

"Interesting." Kaldur remarked as he slipped the mask over his head.

Ready to embark, Kaldur, Ezreal and Ahri made their way to the inner-city streets of Piltover. Taking a few turns into the smaller alleyways, Kaldur watched as Ezreal lead the way to a few small stairs that dropped into the cobblestone tiles below them. Descending into the darker narrows, and taking a short U turn, Kaldur took in a deep breath as he noticed the busy streets that filled the Zaun Promenade.

The Promenade was more than a collection of shops, it was a living society all on its own. With people from both Piltover and Zaun, it was a hub of trading goods that constantly changed hands. With shouting and sounds passing from every which way, it was hard for Kaldur to hear what was being said, but as he listened longer he noticed that each thing had a pattern to it. As every object was being sold, every person had a want for it. People lined the cobblestone streets watching the glass as they saw items they desired, while others begged the shop owners to see other wears that were not on display. People here shifted and swayed with the sales of items, and it was here that Kaldur realized how much of a separate society Zaun was from Piltover.

With every building having their own décor and design, Zaun was its own creation, desperately trying to show itself as separate, if not better, then the city above them. Hard pressed iron and colored glass were the major aspect of the Zaunite Promenade, and as Kaldur looked around through the crowds of people, he began to see that at first glance it may seem to be a mishmash of parts put together, it was far more purposeful than he originally thought.

The people of Zaun were much different than those in Piltover. While many on this level still carried themselves with the same haughty attitude that those above did, the colors scheme and rustic augmentations to their person were what gave them away. Many here wore early Victorian era clothing with a green, cream white, and grey color scheme. Others seemed to favor the darker of reds and cover themselves entirely in two shades that matched the paleness of their skin.

"Ah, dang it." Ezreal complained suddenly. "I forgot to purchase a second thing of Merriks cleaning solution from here. I knew I was forgetting something the other day."

Kaldur and Ahri shared an amused glance.

"Oh well. Not like I can't get any more. This way, we have to take a hydraulic descender to the Entresol level."

"What's that?" Kaldur asked, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.

"It's the middle level of Zaun." Ezreal explained. "It's where most of the residents live. Ekko has a tendency to linger there if not helping some poor kid in the Sump."

"I meant the hydraulic descender. Is that like an elevator?"

"What's an elevator?" Ezreal asked.

"It's a contraption that allows people to move up and down faster than taking the stairs."

"That's exactly it!" Ezreal confirmed. "Though we have to take the public one, I don't think we could afford the private one."

Making their way to the edge of the walkway, Kaldur looked over the iron rails to see the depths beneath him. While most of the passageways were bridges that transferred from one end of the chasm to the other, there were many pathways that lead down to the lower areas where signs directed them. From an initial view, the first five stories were the busiest in Zuan, while the descending stories frequented less people till they reached the lowest platform of buildings Kaldur could see.

Looking to his right, Kaldur realized he had fallen behind his companions and sped to catch them as Ezreal veered right onto a descending spiral staircase. Catching the turn near the middle of the stairway, Kaldur looked left to see a massive steam powered object that spanned easily two stories on its own. The object was a transportation device, what Kaldur assumed was the Hydraulic Descender. With three large powered screws nearly three times his size at the top connected to grooved pillars descending into the ground, the elevator itself was shaped much like two glass and iron cones that connected to each other at the circular base. On the very top middle of the object contained a bronze statue of an owl where Kaldur could almost see three people holding onto it, but were too far away for Kaldur to gather the details. Near the base of the lower cone sat a mechanical drawbridge that extended to a large archway door where a line of people gathered to enter the descender. Above the door was a large bronze sign that was bolted to the middle stream line which read "The Watchful Owl." With steam shooting out of brass containers, and shouting from people in uniforms, it seemed more like a train station to Kaldur than anything else.

"Quarter of a bell before drop!" Called a brown-haired officer who stood by the entrance.

Moving up to the man, Ezreal reached into his pocket and hauled out a few golden hexes of which he handed to the man.

"Brought company with you this time Ez? What's the occasion?" The man asked as he checked the schedule he held in his hand.

"Just another thrilling adventure." Ezreal said, smiling under his mask.

"Be sure to tell me about it over some Cavernberry. But please try not to do anything that lights the city on fire again." The man pleaded, shuddering. "I remember the locusts from the last time you went down."

"That wasn't my fault!" Ezreal defended. "If Zalie's clerk had not handled it improperly…"

"You can tell me about it later." The conductor interrupted. "The descender leaves in a few, may want to get on it."

"Right." Ezreal commented and beckoned for Kaldur and Ahri to follow.

Entering the elevator, the trio found a vacant spot on the base level and turned to watch the outside through the clear glass.

"This is the only descender that leads from only the promenade to the lower levels. The others are in areas that lead from Piltover to the lower levels." Ezreal explains.

After a few minutes of standing around and watching as people open windows in the compartments, shouting out to others, the conductor enters the compartment and shuts the door behind him. Pulling out a megaphone the man calls out directions.

"Going down!"

With a loud whirr and a click, the compartment shakes and begins to gather speed as it moves lower. Watching the scenery change as the hydraulic descender moves, Kaldur watches as people in the compartment begin to mingle in their own way.

After a good ten minutes, the elevator begins to slow down, and Kaldur watches as people move to get off.

"Disembark for Entresol!" The conductor shouts through the megaphone.

Following Ezreal, the crew left the hydraulic descender and watched as another cascade of people began to enter it. While most looked to be merchants and artisans of some kind, Kaldur was surprised to see a plethora of people in rough and worn clothing enter while others with major augments to their person, and weapons, followed them through.

"How much do people make here in Zaun?" Kaldur asked.

Ezreal turned to Kaldur with a confused look but followed his gaze to the people entering the hydraulic descender.

"Ah. Some of the conductors don't really mind a few stragglers entering the descender." Ezreal answered in realization. "So long as they are only going down and none cause trouble."

"Who are the augmented individuals with weapons?" Ahri asked, seeming to read Kaldurs thoughts.

"Chem punks." Ezreal commented. "Just don't get in their way and they won't have a problem with you."

Raising an eyebrow at the lack in urgency in Ezreals voice, Kaldur and Ahri followed him outside of the cavern that held the elevator onto a large cobblestone roadway. With steam removing itself from the open manhole covers in the streets, and an odd green residue lining the edges of the streets, Kaldur observed that the lower levels were far more rustic than the upper levels.

With buildings made entirely of iron, and a fog that persisted throughout the streets themselves, the view seemed like one on a midnight tour of London. With machines ever present, and domes of wildlife that grew despite the poisonous air, it seemed as if such a world was one where his own world could arrive at.

"Not very much like Ionia, huh?" Kaldur commented to Ahri as they followed Ezreal through the city streets.

"True, but it does seem to have its own … magic to it." Ahri said, watching the new view in wonder.

As they progressed through the walkways of the Entresol level, Kaldur couldn't help but notice that the walkways narrowed the more they moved through the city. It felt … cramped, but Kaldur moved on. Before long, the trio exited a small walkway and emerged in another chasm that split from his left to his right where the depths of an abyss lay out before them.

"Watch your step." Ezreal warned. "Fastest way to the sump without taking a descender is here."

"What are we looking for?" Kaldur asked as he brushed against the buildings opposed to the drop, trying to further his distance from the ledge.

"Trying to find where that little Sump snipe put his marker." Ezreal commented, looking at the walls.

"Some of the less fortunate kids in the sump level come up here from time to time." Ezreal explained. "Many of them know Ekko, all I need to do is talk with one of them."

Rounding a corner, Ezreal stopped with a small smile on his face.

"Speaking of which." He commented, disappearing out of Kaldurs site.

Turning the same corning, Kaldur and Ahri watched as Ezreal moved towards a small child making a marking on the wall.

The boy was no more than ten years. With some broken goggles on his head and matted black hair, the kid wore clothing torn to shreds with grease stains marking his jacket, and shoes that went up to his knees.

"Care to make a few coins kid?" Ezreal commented as he moved closer.

The kid, startled at first, made a slight smug smile as he saw who it was. "Depends on whacha' want mister."

Kneeling down, Ezreal pulled out a couple silver cogs and held them in front of the kid.

"You get one now, and one when the job is done."

The kid let out some air. "Pfft. If that's all you're offerin' I can't help ya'."

Ezreal smiled once more. "Then how about four?"

The kid paused. "What's the job?"

"Need you to give someone a message for me."

"Who it be?"

"Tell Ekko, if you see him, that old Ezreal needs a little help. He'll know where to go."

The kid held out his hand for the change. "If I can find him. He's been busy."

Ezreal dropped two of the coins into the kids hands, and just like that, the boy took off into the foggy streets, the little pitter patter of his boots disappearing the farther he went along. Turning around to the other two, Ezreal put his hands on his hips.

"Now we just have to wait."

Taking a seat at the ledge that hung over the small abyss, Kaldur looked down to let his eyes adjust. While there wasn't much to see, he could make out the bottom of the drop through the fog. With a few smaller lights, and the clanking of metal, Kaldur could barely see the broken-down buildings that rested on the floor before him.

It was nearly a half an hour before anything occurred, and while Kaldur was enjoying taking in the sites of the city, he couldn't help but feel that there was something watching him. Taking a look around once more, Kaldur almost jumped as he felt something behind him.

At the same time, Ahri and Kaldur spun around and peered at the shadows. Even though he couldn't see anything, Kaldur could still feel something there. He wasn't sure how, or by what reason he could feel it, but he knew that someone, or something, was there.

"What's wrong with you two?" Ezreal asked, turning around himself. "You're acting like scared beetles."

"What is it?" Kaldur asked, not removing his eyes from the spot.

"I don't know." Ahri admitted. "But you are getting more in tune with the rune. I barely noticed it myself."

Kaldur shrugged. "After the pier I started to notice a few things, just wasn't sure what they were till now."

"Ok, seriously? What are you two talking about?"

Just as Kaldur opened his mouth, the presence disappeared, and in came a slightly less unnerving one.

Looking up on the roof of the nearest building, Kaldur watched as a young man wandered into view and sat down above them. A teenager at nearly five foot six, the guy was far more punk like than Kaldur initially thought he would be. Black skin and dark eyes, the kid sported pale white hair that was shaved at the sides with a long white mohawk sprouting from the center of his forehead to the back of his neck. On his face the kid had a cream white upright hourglass painted there with the center on the bridge of his nose. With a tan sleeveless shirt holding a belt that went from his shoulder to the edge of his pants, the kid wore a large red neck cover that contained a set of goggles strapped there, each side with a narrow horizontal slit meant for viewing. On his lower half the teenager wore a baggy pair of pants that were hewn together near his knees where he wore belted boots, while on the back of his hip lay an interesting glass cylinder with the insides spinning slowly with the tick of time. In the mans' right gloved hand, the kid wielded a large turquoise sword with a similar colored ring as the butt of it, making the whole thing look more like a sharpened, geared up, bat than anything.

"What do you want, Ez? I'm a little busy."

"You can spare a few minutes, right?" Ezreal asked, getting up.

"No one can spare time." Ekko said, giving a look of annoyance at Ezreals attempt at banter. "If they can, they should give some to the rest of us."

Hopping down from roof, Ekko gave Kaldur a curious look before he held out his hand, palm facing upward.

"I believe you owe my friend some silver."

Ezreal nodded and pulled out two silver cogs, handing it over to Ekko. Snatching the change, Ekko turned around towards the alleyway where the young kid who arrived earlier appeared out of the fog. Passing the coins to the kids outstretched hand, Ekko rubbed the kid on the head.

"Stay out of trouble. And get yourself some descent food."

"You know me." The kid remarked as he darted through the fog once more.

Once the kid was out of sight, Ekko turned to Ezreal and nodded to both Kaldur and Ahri.

"Who are the Pilties?" He asked.

"Actually, they are not from Piltover." Ezreal answered. "Ahri is from Ionia, and Kaldur is from … somewhere. Either way, can we get back to the reason you're here?"

"Ionia, huh?" Ekko commented as he looked at Ahri, not even bothering to answer Ezreal. "Never been. Never seen a Vastayan either, so I guess this is a day for firsts."

Ezreal began to shake his head. "Come on, time breaker. I need a little info on a rumor you may have gotten. Care to spill?"

Ekko looked up at Ezreal, his eyes narrowing. "What's in it for me?"

"I have some good cash on me. That's always an option."

Ekko laughed. "Jeez Ez! That's a Pilties way out. You want something from Zaun, you do something for Zaun! You should know that, you've done this before."

"What can I say? I got a schedule to keep." Ezreal commented.

Kaldur stepped forward. "What is it you want help with?" He asked.

Ekko turned to look at Kaldur then slapped Ezreal in the arm. "See? This guy knows what to ask."

Standing in front of Kaldur, the kid put his sword on his back and crossed his arms. "So, what do you need?"

"I need to find someone. A person who may have given you a rumor about a treasure on the shadow isles. Would have been a few months back."

Ekko raised an eyebrow. "Well that's one heck of a coincidence. I remember that man. He rubbed me the wrong way when I met him, and not just two days ago I run into him again and he tells me to keep my mouth shut."

"Can you take us to him?" Ahri asked, stepping forward.

"I can, but you have to do my task first."

Ezreal perked up for a moment and wandered behind Ekko. "Please tell me it is not going to be like last time? I had to buy a new pair of goggles from that one."

Ekko shrugged a little. "I could have gone back in time to get them buuut … I figured it was funnier to watch you scrounge around for them."

Kaldur laughed. "So, what is the job specifically?"

Ekko gave Kaldur a saddened look. "Over the past few weeks, a few of the kids have been going missing."

"Need us to find them?"

"Oh, I found them already." Ekko remarked. "My problem is getting them out of where they're at."

Ezreal raised an eyebrow. "Where are they?"

"Their … kinda … at the old prison." Ekko said meekly.

Ezreal looked like he had seen a ghost. Turning around, he spun his head towards the wall and started to slowly tap his forehead against it.

"How – in – all – of – Runeterra did you manage to get mixed up with that crazy lunatic!?" Ezreal asked, exasperated.

"I don't know, alright! I just tracked one of the kidnappers. By the time I found them it was too late for me to do anything. My Z-drive only lasts for a certain amount of time. And no matter how many times I tried it, I couldn't even get one of them out."

"Times?" Kaldur asked.

"I reset the timeline over a thousand times." Ekko paraphrased.

Kaldur whistled. "That is a lot of alternate realities."

Ekko paused and turned to Kaldur. "Wait, you know alternate reality theory? I thought you weren't from above?"

"Oh, no, I am not, but I do come from a place where time travel is a hot debate for us. No one has been able to do it, but we still talk about it."

"You and I are gonna have to talk later." Ekko remarked before he turned to Ezreal. "I don't know why Urgot wants those kids. All I need is a few well-placed seconds and I can get everyone out."

"Why did you stop to talk to me then, if this was so important?"

"Because …" Ekko paused to think. "As much as I hate to admit it … I need help for this one. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Well you're in luck." Ezreal said with a smile appearing on his face. "We could just do with a well-worn out adventure. However much that … guy gives me the creeps."

"We don't need luck." Ekko commented.

"Either way." Ahri intervened. "Where is this 'prison'?"

"In the lower parts of the Sump level." Ekko explained. "But," Ekko stood back to examine his new assistants. "I think we might need one more person."

Ignoring the confused looks on everyone else's face, Ekko spun into the alleyway and began to jog. With everyone at his heels, Ekko took a few small turns before they emerged onto the main walkway that marked the Entresol level. Banking a right, Ekko kept his gaze on the outer buildings watching for something. While Kaldur was unsure what he was looking for, it was clear that the teenager knew far more about the city than anyone else. Taking a few stairs to the lower segments, Kaldur started to become aware of a low whirr sound that echoed throughout the tunnels beneath him; and with every step it seemed to become louder.

Taking a sharp turn into a darker chasm, Kaldur shielded his eyes as a pair of flashlights spun into his face. Shaking his head and slowing to a stop, Kaldur paused when he realized that the lights were not actually a flashlight themselves, but a pair of large eyes.

"Good morning Ekko. You have brought companions." The voice was loud and metallic, almost as if it were generated from a machine rather than a pair of vocal chords.

"Hoping you could join me too big guy." Ekko greeted. "There are some kids in trouble."

There was a loud crunch as Kaldur watched the figure set down a heavy object. With a booming thud, and a few repeated ones afterwards, Kaldur realized that the large person was walking towards them and they backed up. Watching as the light shone on his target, Kaldurs jaw dropped as he realized he was looking at a large brass steam powered robot.

"That is my purpose." The robot said. "I shall assist."

Ekko spun around to the group and smiled as he noticed Kaldur's and Ahri's expressions.

"This is Blitzcrank." Ekko explained. "He's a steam golem."

Blitzcrank was unlike anything that Kaldur had seen in both Piltover or Zaun. Standing at double his height, the golem had a large brass frame for an upper body that spanned a very broad shoulder length. Almost like a hunchback, Blitzcranks head, which was the size of a normal humans, was slightly lowered on its shoulders in order to face forward, and protected by a large iron ring that looked like a neck guard. On its face, the golem only sported two optical lights for eyes that contained irises to shield them when he blinked, and no mouth that he could see. On either shoulder the large creature wore a set of three spikes that rested in a line just behind a tube that rounded into the golems chest. On his back, Blitzcrank contained two large steam ventilation pipes that protruded in a large V formation. Each arm was the size of Kaldur himself while the hands themselves were disproportionately huge compared to the rest of the arm and sported only three fingers and a thumb, while the knuckles looked like large bolt heads. The feet were the only part that was a little underwhelming as they were smaller than the average size put sported pistons in the center and outer canvas as they helped give support to the upper body. The last object was a large circular indent in the center of Blitzcrank that looked like it could open, perhaps leading to the inner workings of the golem himself.

"Greetings." Blitzcrank said as he raised his hand in a small wave.

Kaldur looked at him a little apprehensive, then waved back. "Hello."

"So, this is the big Golem I have heard so much about." Ezreal mused. "I wasn't sure I believed it, but the guy is far different than a normal work design."

Ekko smiled. "Found him when I was trying to catch a few mercenaries. The guy said he was asked to help save a few people who were being hunted so it worked out. If I ever run into trouble, I call him."

Spinning around Ekko appraised Blitzcrank on the situation, making sure to give as many details as he could. With a quick slew of other introductions, Ekko urged the party forward, impatience lining the brows on his face.

With Ekko in the front, and Blitzcrank leading the rear, the group trudged along through the walkways will the crew arrived upon the room of another Hydraulic descender. Shoving everyone in, and forcing Ezreal to pay, the first four member arrived inside the lower level of the descender as Blitzcrank disappeared atop the workings of the 'rising howl'; the name of this Hydraulic descender.

With a loud whistle from the conductor, and the clanking of gears, the Rising Howl shot down from the Entresol level towards the increasing depths of the darkened and fog filled Sump level. As they arrived to the lowest part the Descender could, Kaldur felt the effects of the fog as he stepped off the elevator and appeared onto the metallic walkway. It was dark here, or at least void of any natural sunlight. The only lights that existed were from the incandescent bulbs that filled the walkways along with the humming green of vials that lined areas of the walls.

Overall, the Sump level was a far more rustic version of the Entresol level, where everything was more crowded and sickly than before. As Ekko led the way, Kaldur could not take a series of steps without hearing the rings of a cough from someone on the sides of the streets. Here, if one did not look sick, they were heavily modified. While some people lived with the basic rebreather modifications to their face, some went so far as to change their entire arms to working wonders of thousands of tools that seemed to be everywhere at once.

"You Pilties are gonna have to be careful down here." Ekko began. "Some areas near the base are practically toxic to anyone who breathes normally. Even I avoid it. The only bright side is that the prison is straight above the run off that the Sump scrappers dig through."

"Sump scrappers?" Ahri asked, speeding up as a mustached man with large cogs in the back of his head nearly made a pass at her.

"Modified men on stilts. They dig through the refuse to find anything to salvage."

As they made their way past the rows of refugees dependent on the scraps laying on the ground, Kaldur watched as the walkways became far more crowded the deeper they went into the smog encrusted level. Taking a right at their last juncture, the group halted as they encroached upon another large chasm that fell to depths that Kaldur couldn't even see through. With low level walkways and rails marking the different stories along the chasm, the place looked like its own superstructure that had a massive split in the middle made from an earthquake. Zigzagging across the chasm itself was a plethora of lifts on large steel cables that looked to only fill a few people at a time.

"Blitz, you're gonna have to go across yourself." Ekko instructed. "The rest of you: pile into that."

Pointing at one of the lifts that descended a row and made its way across the chasm, Ekko walked into the brass death trap as the other three followed. Swaying with the motion on the crew, Kaldur observed that the door was only a steel frame with a wheel on it to lock the thing shut. On the forward side sat a small control mechanism, a lever, and a circular window that could observe the other side. Even with the tight space, Ezreal still managed to close and lock the door while Ekko pushed the lever to the other side making the lift shake a bit as it removed itself from the stable cliffside. With a creaking sound of the lift, Kaldur looked out the window to observe a large pair of brass hands reach out from the edge of his view and grab hold of the steel beams. Each connected to a large cable, he could just make out the small whirring sound just as the body of Blitzcrank flung itself into view and clamped to the detached hands making the cables vanish from sight. As the large robot pulled himself onto the walkway, moving a large barrel out of his was to make sure he didn't crush it, Kaldur watched as Blitzcrank looked up and closed one eye at him for a split second.

"Did he just wink at me?" Kaldur asked.

"He does that." Ekko explained. "Say's it helps in his study on human behavior."

With a loud click, Kaldur stopped looking at Blitzcrank as the lift spun a hundred and eighty degrees to face the other direction just halfway through the chasm. Landing on the other side of the drop, Ezreal quickly spun open the wheel and shoved the door, diving out to avoid the other three from pushing.

Removing themselves from the contraption, the group followed Ekko through the tighter turns , Blitzcrank trudging along behind them, till they descended farther than Kaldur could keep track of. It was easily ten minutes till the party arrived at their destination, and Kaldur could hardly believe his eyes at what he saw.

The structure nestled in a large cavern that was nearly a thousand feet in diameter. With a singular broken bridge that lead up to the main entry way, the structure itself was a machination of destroyed salvage and leaking green chem-fluid. With spikes of metal raining on the top and searing the sides, the building looked the part of a prison, with an aura of dread coming off of it. On the outer edges lay no windows, but small cracks that were represent of the broken areas of the structure. The cavern itself was an entirely different story, and while it was clear to have been made by some sort of explosion, it also looked to have been heavily modified to handle the damage done to its frame.

Ducking down behind a pile of refuse, Kaldur and the others watched the entrance for any method of entryway.

"Alright." Ekko began as he shifted his gear around. "I'll activate my drive here. Whatever plan we come up with will be instantaneous for you all."

"Wait, you're going to go back in time now?" Kaldur asked.

Ekko shook his head. "No, I am going to use this point as an anchor. If I go through this rescue enough times, my actions will change the course of this fight till we get it right. You all will see it as if we did it right the first time."

"What happens to you?" Ahri asked.

Ekko shrugged. "Broken bones, a little internal bleeding, nothing much."

Ezreal coughed. "'Nothing much' he says." Then shrugged. "So long as it's you and not me."

Kaldur passed an irritated look at Ezreal before he turned around to watch Ekko. With a hand on the little tag that rested on the edge of his cylinder container, Ekko pulled at it till the rip cord extended as far as it could go. In amazement, Kaldur watched as the crystals inside the glass rotated at increasing speed till it looked like the crystal stood perfectly still; then it slowly rotated back the other direction at a snail's pace.

It all happened in an instant, but the moment Ekko let go of the rip cord, he looked injured. With a bleeding forehead and scratches marking his torn shirt, Ekko reached over with his right hand and relocated his left arm that hung limp. With a sharp pop and a grunt, Ekko looked back the crew with agitated eyes.

"Ninety-two tries." He remarked, breathing heavily. "This will be the ninety third."

Kaldur opened his mouth to reply but Ekko held up a finger and pointed at Kaldur.

"No, you will not be able to tell if this is the last attempt, neither will I." He said, seeming to read Kaldur's question before he made it.

Pointing to Ahri and Ezreal he made another finger before speaking. "You two have had the best success of getting the kids out. There is a broken opening at the base prison, make sure you don't breathe the toxic gas near the opening or this guy …" He pointed at Kaldur. "… won't forgive me."

Resting his hands down he shook his head to wake himself up before looking at Ahri. "There are only a few traps and a couple paid off Vigilnauts near the kids. Take a left at the first torn rift, then a right and they should be there. Ezreal will explain what a Vigilnaut is."

Taking a breath, Ekko spun to Blitzcrank and Kaldur. "You, me and the big guy have to take on Urgot and a few of his cronies. Just do what you are going to do, I'll work around you. We have to fight him openly or else he catches the Piltie in the back."

Ezreal grimaced at the thought, but beckoned for Ahri to follow, leading the way towards the outskirts of the cavern. Kaldur was not sure how they would traverse the gap that stood in their way, but he had little time to wonder as Ekko moved to the main entrance. Following behind, Kaldur and Blitzcrank moved to the outer edges of the bridge, each making sure to cover Ekko's flank as he progressed forward. With the mask on, it was hard to tell how thick the fumes were with their ascension from the lower abyss, but it was clear to Kaldurs eyes how much it would hurt if he were to remove the mask.

Approaching the door, Ekko barged up to the door and hit it with the flat edge of his weapon.

"Hey! Sump head! Get your six legged rear end out here before I kick down your door!" Ekko yelled.

Immediately, Ekko spun around and walked away from the door, beckoning for Kaldur and Blitzcrank to do the same. Following his lead, Kaldur took a few steps back just as he noticed something fling over the barricade. Looking up, Kaldur watched as a large green canister crashed to the floor and exploded in a puff of green smoke just outside of Kaldurs reach. Generating a sword and shield, Kaldur watched with caution as the smokescreen eroded away some of the steel that created the bridge.

It was only a few seconds, but Kaldur quickly realized that the canister was just the opening volley. With a few more whistling sounds erupting from above them, Kaldur and the crew backed away a little more only to see that the front barricade flung open just as the canisters landed. Out of the door erupted dozens of men, if one would call them that. Each person was massively augmented, and it looked as if each one had removed most, if not all, of their human parts in whatever process had made this possible.

Ekko made a small smile and pulled out what looked to be a small stopwatch from his pocket. Clicking it, Kaldur watched as a hollow light blue reflection of Ekko took the place of the original as a green projectile landed through the copy. Standing out of the range of fire, Ekko's reflection lifted up a small ball of some sort, hollow and blue like the reflection, and struck it across the bridge with his weapon like a bat.

Raising a shield himself to block the projectiles incoming, Kaldur watched the translucent ball fly to the other end in the middle of the rampaging herd of augmented humans. The moment the ball struck the floor a loud twang sounded in the cavern and a large field erupted where it stood making the men freeze in their tracks.

Kaldur nodded. "You could teach Mosh a thing or two."

Ekko sighed as he ran through the diminishing chemical smog towards the frozen opponents. "Still don't know who that is." He shouted back.

Following through the dense mist, Kaldur dashed to the edge of the field and begun to slash at the center and heads of the incapacitated opponents, making sure they would be rendered unconscious when the field stopped. Blitzcrank, on the other hand, seemed to care little for the members in the back and instead used his cabled hands to remove those in the way, tossing some of the side of the bridge with a hit if they were persistent. Sliding under a few of the augmentees he had made unconscious, Kaldur made his way to the open door when the field collapsed, Ekko sliding his way to Kaldur's side.

"Shield the door and make it strong." Ekko directed.

Raising an eyebrow, Kaldur almost didn't get the shield up in time before something crashed to the ground in front of the barrier. Looking up from the shock, Kaldur almost gasped in shock as he saw a man that had made the other augmentees look normal. Standing as tall as Blitzcrank, the creature before him was the product of a man embracing a machine. With six mechanical spider legs connected to a large iron engine as his midsection, the base shifted as the man atop it eyed the shield with apprehension. The top of the creature was the closest to resemble a man, and only contained the head, a harshly tattooed left arm, and his left upper chest piece. On his face the creature wore a mask that was seared to his flesh over his mouth that rested underneath two beady eyes fueled with rage. The mask lay connected to a plethora of green tubes that circled to the backside of the man cycling chem fluid as the man breathed. The man's right arm was replaced by a large spiked rectangular box, that Kaldur observed upon closer inspection was a gun of some sort.

Bracing the shield, Kaldur flinched as the cannon arm of the creature opened fire on the shield, pounding it with loud sounds of gunfire erupting. While Kaldur could tell that the shield was holding, he was more surprised at the sheer firepower that came from one gun. It was only a moment before the creature realized his efforts were having little effect and thus stopped firing, glaring at Ekko.

"So," the creature spoke in a deep metallic voice that make Kaldur shiver. "The prodigal son returns."

Spinning his head at Kaldur, there was this odd sensation that the man was smiling. "And he has brought friends."

"So sorry I missed the family reunion Urgot." Ekko retorted. "Been busy trying to make sure you don't mess up Zaun."

Ugrot chucked making Kaldur cringe. "Zaun is no more than a proving ground, one that will see its most favorite son rise from the depths."

Ekko laughed. "Good luck with that. Told you before, not interested in your fan club."

Rotating around on his legs, Urgot began to walk forward into the prison as he spoke. "That's just too bad. You have so much potential."

Ekko leaned into Kaldur. "Drop the shield in five seconds."

Kaldur began to count.

 _5._

Blitzcranks hands reached out on their cables to the edges of the entrance, gripping tight.

 _4._

Urgot stopped in his tracks and tilted his head upwards.

 _3._

"Interesting …" He remarked.

 _2._

"It seems I have a few utter rats where they shouldn't be."

Kaldur dropped the shield just as Urgot spun around with his cannon primed and aiming into the air. Kaldur prepped for the returning gunfire, but was surprised to see a Blitzcrank dive through the front door at the large man, his arms used as slings. With a charged hand, Blitzcrank slammed his fist into Urgot's stomach just as the first few rounds went into the air.

Urgot was sent flying into the wall near the back, causing a collapse of a few bars in the steel frames structure.

"UGH!" Urgot cried in pain.

Gripping the big man with his hands while Kaldur and Ekko wandered into the room, Blitzcrank pulled the Urgot close and erupted into a large field of electricity. Standing back, Kaldur watched as Urgot shook with pain at the ensuing voltage coursing through him, but it only lasted for a moment. The moment the electricity dissipated, Urgot leveled his cannon at Blitzcrank and prepared to fire.

Ekko was already there. Wielding a small disk in his hand, Ekko threw it at Urgots cannon. It was only a flash, but halfway through the throw the disk expanded into small parts radiating around a light blue ring. As the ring struck the cannon, Kaldur could see the tears that the device made into Urgots arm, rendering the cannon obsolete before the disk spun around of its own accord and into Ekko's hand.

Backing up with rage at his broken arm, Urgot's parts began to vibrate as he knees on his legs slid open like visors to reveal small gun barrels within them. Raising a shield to block the ensuing gunfire, Kaldur watched as a canister of green liquid came out of nowhere and struck Blitzcrank in the stomach, forcing the golem backwards.

Lowering himself to hide under the dust and debris that came up from the bullets, Kaldur swept around to the back of where he assumed Urgot still stood. With his sword armed, Kaldur dove towards the large man and sliced at the legs, making sure to cut them off. Shrieking in rage, Urgot shoved himself away from Kaldurs blade as the two legs fell to the floor. Making sure to keep the distance close, Kaldur unleashed a barrage of strikes that were aimed at the creature's legs. As the metal seared off, Kaldur watched as his strikes removed another two legs and led the injured Urgot into the arms of Blitzcrank who had just shirked the toxic chemical.

Blitzcrank charged his arm and slammed his fist once more into Urgots chest, sending the man flying into the wall and forcing Kaldur to jump out of the way. With the groan of bending metal, Kaldur ran up to Urgot and finished removing his other two legs before he backed off.

Keeping his shield up and his sword trained on the broken figure, Kaldur shouted back to Ekko. "Hey Ekko, what do you want to do with him?"

"Just keep him there for a few minutes while I clean up."

Sparring a glance, Kaldur was surprised to see that Ekko had been busy during the last few moments. Wielding a bloodied weapon, Ekko wandered the grounds as a good ten augmented men lay on the floor either unconscious or dead. Making his way to Kaldur, Ekko made a small smile.

"Well, Ez and the kids should be here any moment. After that we leave, I just had to make sure that we didn't have any extra company."

Urgot chuckled, forcing everyone to look back at him.

"You think you're that lucky?"

Ekko walked over to the man, leaning in just close enough for the two to stare straight into the others eyes.

"I don't have luck. Never needed it."

Urgot laughed. "You and I are born from the same metal."

Ekko shook as he pushed himself away from the man. "I am _nothing_ like you."

On que, Kaldur looked up to see Ahri wander through one of the passages of the open metallic courtyard. With a quick smile, Ahri stood back to beckon a train of kids through the entrance as well. The line was filled with kids, most in rags hardly identifiable as clothes. With fear in their eyes, the kids darted out of the tunnel till their eyes recognized the familiar face of Ekko among the strangers.

"Ekko!" A young girl cried as she darted towards the teenager.

Reaching down, Ekko scooped the kid up and gave her a big hug before putting her down.

"Told you I'd get you out."

The girl giggled.

"A little help here?" Ezreal called, forcing Kaldurs gaze away from the tender reunion.

Walking out of the tunnel himself, Ezreal gave Ekko a worried look as he pointed down to a child that had clamped onto his leg refusing to let go.

Ekko smirked. "Don't like kids Piltie?"

"Oh I have no problem with them …" Ezreal tried once more to remove the kid to no avail. "So long as they don't get in the way or ruin my stuff. It's normally the toddlers that give me the most grief. I'm an adventurer not a babysitter."

Reaching down towards the kid, Ahri grabbed the little rascal and pried him off of Ezreals leg, holding him herself. Leading the kids through the door, Blitzcrank tried to be as human as possible as Ekko and Kaldur stayed behind to make sure the rest got out.

"You know," Ekko began. "after this I think …"

It was the loud bang that first alerted Kaldur that something was wrong, but he didn't realize how wrong till he turned to look at Ekko. With blood coming out of his mouth, Ekko looked down to see that a large spiked drill had embedded itself through his stomach from his back. Breaking the glass cylinder that was Ekko's Z-drive, Kaldur traced the cable that was connected to the drill back to a laughing Urgot, his stomach opened to reveal spiked gears meant to tear things apart.

Manifesting his sword in an instant, Kaldur was about to slice the cable when a shockwave from the Z-drive sent him flying towards the wall. With his head striking the wall, Kaldur shook himself to try and regain focus of what was happening.

"Your friends bound you like chains." Urgot laughed. "Now they will be your death."

Kaldur watched in horror as the cabled drill dragged a now dead Ekko towards the grinding machine at the center of the creatures stomach. Lifting himself up off the floor, Kaldur ran towards Urgot in a mad attempt to free the lifeless corps, but was once again sent flying by another shockwave from the broken Z-drive that had fallen to the floor. Looking to his right, Kaldur couldn't tell where the others were, he didn't even know if they were alright or not. Looking down at the ground, Kaldur once again observed the shockwaves as they came from the broken shards of Hex-crystal. It wasn't much, but there were moments, he realized, when he could feel something from the shards.

Waiting for the next shockwave, Kaldur bolted for the shards the moment it occurred, grabbing the nearest one he could find. Building up his power, Kaldur poured it into the shard in the hopes that something would happen. Not knowing what to expect, Kaldur kept pouring power into the shard as fast as he could. In his mind, Kaldur saw it: the splinters of possible futures if he succeeded or failed. Thousands of timelines presented themselves before him and Kaldur realized that each one led back to the point Ekko had activated the Z-drive.

If only he could get back there.

Dumping as much power as he could muster, Kaldur watched as the streaming images froze at their current place, then started to rewind backwards. It was only a moment, but for Kaldur it felt like an eternity. As the rewind sped up, Kaldur closed his eyes for as long as he could waiting till the stream of energy ended.

Then, as if by design, it stopped.

Feeling that his magic was no longer being used, Kaldur opened his eyes to view a grimacing Ekko resetting a dislocated arm, and a shard no longer in his hands.

"Ninety-two tries." Ekko remarked. "This will be the ninety third."

"Wait …" Kaldur began, but was blocked by a finger from Ekko.

"No, you will not be able to tell if this is the last attempt, neither will I." He responded.

Kaldur shook his head at the prospect of what had just happened. A moment ago he had just seen Ekko get impaled by an angry Urgot, then the next he was standing here as if he was repeating the last five minutes.

The notion lit up in Kaldur's mind.

He was reliving it. And now he had a chance to change the outcome.

"You two have had the best success of getting the kids out." Ekko began as he started to lay out the plan. "There is a broken opening at the base prison, make sure you don't breathe the toxic gas near the opening or this guy …" He pointed at Kaldur. "… won't forgive me."

Kaldur raised his hands into the air.

"Hold up. We've done this before."

Ekko sighed. "No, _I_ have done this before."

Kaldur shook his head. "You've done this before ninety-two times. But the ninety-third is where everting went wrong."

Everyone paused.

"What?" Ekko asked.

Kaldur took a deep breath and began to explain what he saw. At first, Ekko looked on in bemused disbelief, but as the story progressed, his face began to change into a look of pure fear and confusion.

"After that I grabbed the shard and poured as much power as I could into it. Once that was done I ended up here."

Leaning back, Ekko looked up in reflection. "So, the plan works, I just need to avoid the drill he has in his stomach?"

"Pretty much." Kaldur affirmed. "Better yet, let's just leave with the rest after I run my sword through those gears of his. Hopefully that won't kill him."

"Alright." Ekko said, standing up. "We better get a move on though, before all this becomes obsolete."

As it happened before, Ahri and Ezreal separated from the group just before Ekko, Kaldur, and Blitzcrank made their way across the bridge. After a prodigious knock and a slew of insults being thrown Urgots way, Kaldur and the other two backed up just far enough for the chem canister's gas to stay out of their range.

While Kaldur had not gone back in time nearly as many times as Ekko, he was pleased to find that he knew much of what was going to happen before it did and plan accordingly. Raising his shield to block the projectiles, Kaldur watched Ekko's time baseball froze the onslaught of men in place as it had before.

Diving through the dissipated gas, Kaldur and the others rendered the augmented men unconscious just in time for Kaldur to reach the gate and place his shield up even quicker than before. With his foot tapping the floor, Kaldur watched as Urgot came plunging down and attempted to destroy his shield for the second time; and just like before, it still didn't work.

"So, the prodigal son returns." Urgot began.

As it so happened, Urgot's voice still made Kaldur shiver.

"And he has brought friends."

"So sorry I missed the family reunion Urgot." Ekko retorted, just like before. "Been busy trying to make sure you don't mess up Zaun."

Waiting for his que to drop the shield, Kaldur let the conversation drown out as he made sure to pay attention to the other details in the area. While the room that Urgot occupied was still a metallic torn entryway, the only thing that set it apart was the giant-sized hole in the roof that made it seem like a rustic courtyard rather than a room.

"Drop he shield in five seconds." Ekko whispered, bringing Kaldur's attention back to the fight at hand.

Just like before, Urgot spun around just as Blitzcrank prepped to launch into the room. On the count of five, Kaldur let go of the shield to watch a heavy Blitzcrank drop punch Urgot into the wall marking the start of the fight.

Moving into the room, Kaldur waited as Blitzcrank electrocuted Urgot and Ekko disabled the cannon before making a move. Darting forward, Kaldur placed a shield right next to Urgot a few seconds before the cannons in his knees were deployed and spun to cut off two of his legs in a heated moment. Distracted by Kaldur's sudden motions, Urgot didn't even deploy a canister towards Blitzcrank by the time the pair shredded the remaining legs on the man's body. With a final punch, and a quick laugh in his rough voice, Blitzcrank sent Urgot into the wall.

Rushing up to Urgot, Kaldur raised his sword and buried it into the metallic center of Urgot's stomach.

"NOO!" Urgot cried as Kaldur's sword shredded the motion gears and impaling drill that he knew was there.

"Good luck getting that fixed." Kaldur remarked.

Spinning around to watch Ekko, he was satisfied with the same view of the young man having taken out around ten men without much of a sweat.

"Well, Ez and the kids should be here any moment. After that we leave, I just had to make sure that we didn't have any extra company."

Placing a shield around Urgot in case he had any more tricks Kaldur couldn't see, he was surprised to see that the raging man wasn't laughing in a maniacal manner. With the silence surrounding the three members, Kaldur was glad to hear the adorable sounds of children as they arrived through the tunnel way, Ahri leading them.

With the little girl hugging Ekko as before, Kaldur couldn't help but smile at the young one that had found an attachment to Ezreals leg. As the crew and the train of children wandered through the exit, Kaldur was the last to remain as he made sure that nothing else could surprise them from this point onward.

"So, _you_ are the one." Urgot remarked as Kaldur approached the exit.

Kaldur paused and spun around, curiosity building within him. "What do you mean?"

Urgot made a slight chuckle. "You will find out soon enough. My only regret is that I didn't take the offer."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow but shook his head and made it for the rest of the group. By the time he arrived next to Ekko and the rest, Kaldur was still wondering what Urgot meant, and how soon it was to come.

"What's on your mind?" Ekko asked, keeping his gaze fixed on the children as they clambered over Blitzcrank in a fit of laughter.

"Just something Urgot said before I left the room."

Ekko shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. That man is everything wrong with Zaun. He's what people see when they come here."

Kaldur made a face, but just let the topic die.

"What you did back there…" Ekko began, putting his hands behind his head. "Not most topside would do that for a Zaunite like myself."

Kaldur made a small smile. "It's just who I am."

"Well whatever the reason. You did something for Zaun, that means we'll do something for you."

"Aside from the deal we already made, I can't really see any use for it. No offense."

Ekko shrugged. "The offer is always open. Zaun look after their own."

Nodding in understanding, Kaldur followed the crew in silence as the group made their way up the many stairs to the chasm that divided parts of the Sump level. Arriving at the drop, Ahri and Kaldur said goodbye to a few kids whose living quarters were near this level. While both were worried that something would happen to them, Ekko assured them that the kids were resilient and smart enough to get home on their own. With only a few kids remaining, Ekko placed them all in the lift and sent them to the other side with the oldest there to look after them as they made their way to the Entresol level.

As they waited for the lift to return, Blitzcrank pulled himself to the other side and sat there, reasoning that it was polite to escort companions till the end of their journey. When the lift returned the crew piled in and began their ascent to the upper levels.

"So, Ekko." Ezreal began, smiling in a mischievous way.

Ekko sighed as the lift began to spin around. "Yes, Ez?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where this mysterious rumor starter is do you?"

"I told you, I'll take you to where I met him both times. Can't give you much more than that."

"Yes, but I mean what does the guy …"

Looking out the window, Kaldur stopped paying attention to the conversation when a motion caught his eye. At first it was just a blip, possibly one of the kids that they had saved earlier; but upon closer inspection, the movements seemed too large. Keeping his eyes trained on the platform they had just left, Kaldur almost held his breath as a creature wandered out of the growing fog and stepped into view.

The creature was much like what one would imagine a traditional werewolf to be, but it contained some augmented differences. With its right hand containing knives instead of claws connected to a chem powered wrist, the wolfman sported long ears and a grimacing smile of teeth to boot. As green chem tubes protruded from the gauntlet, each one winded back to canisters that looked to be seared into the creatures back. Sporting dark blue fur all over its body and a pair of torn pants on its rear hind legs, the aspect of the creature that most caught Kaldur's eye was the creatures own red eyes.

And they were staring straight at him.

"Ekko."

"Hmm?"

"Who, or rather, what, is that?" Kaldur asked, pointing out the window.

Taking a glance out the window himself, Ekko grimaced.

"That's a problem."


	17. The Iron Hunt

Chapter 16: The Iron Hunt

Clouds of toxic mist enveloped the outside of the lift obscuring Kaldur's view of the Wolfman through the singular window. Drawing in a sharp breath, Ahri moved to the edge to get a closer look as Ekko ventured to Ezreal as they secured the door.

"Who is he?" Kaldur asked, keeping his eyes peeled for the werewolf.

"Warwick." Ekko explained. "And unless we get off this lift in the next few seconds, we are all going to be his next snack."

Reaching over to the handle, Ekko attempted to open the hatch but was halted by Ezreals hand.

"If we open this thing that gas is going flood this compartment." Ezreal warned.

"What do we do then?" Ekko asked. "My Z-drive still needs to charge and I am praying we are not in this thing when that wolf jumps."

Kaldur looked out the window again before an idea came to him. "What if I make a shield…"

The lift shook harshly, tossing Kaldur to the ground and Ahri atop him. Giving each other a brief glance, they pushing themselves up; the group watching as the cloud grew heavier on the outside. A low creaking sound began as the weight of the lift shifted on the cables. Building up his energy, Kaldur started to feel the shield building around the lift just before he sensed it.

Opening his eyes, Kaldur and Ahri both shifted their heads to a direction farther down the chasm.

"It's him again." Ahri remarked.

"Yep." Kaldur acknowledged. "And that Warwick is similar, he's just warped."

"There you go again." Ezreal whined. "You did this earlier, what are you two talking about?"

With the shield almost in place, Kaldur began to explain. "When an animal …"

A loud twang interrupted him, and just as he felt the shake in the lift, so too did he feel it begin to fall. Rolling around in the lift, the entire party shook as the lift took off towards the abyss with the force of gravity as its accelerant. Laying on the floor, and striking his head on the metal wheel, Kaldur was only barely able to keep the shield from collapsing as another force struck it from the side, tossing it into the metal ledge.

With a bang and a clash, Kaldur flung to the far wall as the lift came to a sudden stop on the metallic edges of the Abyss corridors. The last image in his mind was of Ahri collapsing into his chest and Ekko falling to the floor with a resounding thud.

"Wake up!" came a voice.

While Kaldur was unsure of whom that voice came from, he was quite sure that he recognized it from somewhere. Opening his eyes, Kaldur was quite surprised to see the image of a young girl appear before them, one that had been in his mind on a few occasions. With a pink sash in her hair and streaks of blue and green lining it, he was quite relieved to know it wasn't one of the two he usually saw.

"I know you." Kaldur remarked, smiling.

"Of course, you do. Now get up!" The girl ordered, but instead of the lighter childlike innocence he had seen before, the voice felt harder.

"Why?"

The girl sighed. "Because if you don't we die!" This time the voice was even deeper, but it didn't sound like the girls at all; instead it sounded like Ahri.

Kaldur's eyes fully opened.

In front of him stood Ahri, shaking him awake as the fire behind him began to flare up further. Bolting to his feet, Kaldur looked around to see what had happened. The lift itself was badly damaged and disconnected from the cable, laying on its side with the door wide open. Bent and out of shape, the trail of destruction it made cleared away both concrete structures and dented much of the iron framework that hung out over the abyss. From what he could see, each of the four members were standing in a long walkway that followed the chasm itself, with only a few stairs and ladders that lead to different levels of the structure.

"Your shield managed to save us." Ahri explained. "But Blitzcrank had to strike it to make sure we didn't fall into the chasm."

"Where are the others?" Kaldur asked, rubbing his still throbbing head.

"In here." Ekko called from inside the lift. Stepping out, Ekko turned to look at Kaldur with a pained expression on his face.

"Most of my gear made it, but …" He held out the shards of the hextech crystal that used to line his Z-drive. "The Z-drive is broken worse than Jayce's ego."

Despite the unfamiliar reference, Kaldur understood the point. "Can you fix it?"

Ekko shook his head. "Not without all my tools. I have all the shards, which is good, but unless we can get back to my workspace unscathed, we are in for a long trip."

Opening his mouth, Kaldur was about to say something when a bloodcurdling howl resonated through the walls of the chasm.

"Which is only made worse by _that_." Ekko commented.

"I'm alright too you know." Came a boyish voice from behind.

Turning around, Kaldur was almost surprised to find a relatively unscathed Ezreal leaning against the wall when the thought occurred to him.

"You teleported out, didn't you?"

"Well sure. You think I was going to stay in that death trap?"

Kaldur sighed. "Did it ever occur to you to drag us out as well?"

Ezreal shrugged. "Don't know, never done it before."

"So, you were going to leave us to die?" Ahri commented.

"No! … Well at least that wasn't my first thought. Look, I wasn't trying to get you hurt. I just figured I could help better if I wasn't injured."

Ahri gave Ezreal a snide smile with a look which forced the blond pretty boy to look down in defeat. On the verge of laughing, Kaldur almost forgot about their impending doom when another howl interrupted the moment of humor.

"We have to move." Ekko called, pushing to the lead.

In hot pursuit, Kaldur, Ahri, and Ezreal ran for the stairs as Ekko led the way. Moving lower along the outskirts of the drop, Kaldur felt that his breathing was becoming harder. Reaching up to his face, Kaldur felt around and realized that his mask was no longer covering his mouth. In fact, Ahri no longer had her mask on as well.

Cursing under his breath, Kaldur moved up to Ahri. "We don't have our masks."

Feeling her own face, Ahri's yellow eyes widened at the same realization.

"It's too late." She said. "We have to keep moving. Hopefully we can last as long as need be."

Nodding, Kaldur dropped back.

"What happened to Blitzcrank?" Ezreal asked as they turned a sharp corner into a narrow alley way filled with pipes on all the walls and steam radiating outwards.

"Probably still up top." Ekko guessed. "He can handle himself against Warwick, but it's not the big guy the wolf is chasing."

"I get it that wolves have a good sense of smell, but how can he still smell us through all this crap?" Kaldur asked, dodging a jet of steam that shot out of the wall.

"Warwick works on the blood of those he tracks." Ekko explained. "He goes into some sort of frenzy when he smells blood, and he won't stop until he gets the guy."

Kaldur swallowed. "So, whose blood does he have?"

"Likely not mine." Ezreal chimed in as the group rounded another bend into a set of stairs.

"It could be any one of us." Ekko responded. "I'm willing to bet it's me, but we were all injured back there."

"Can't we just fight the guy?" Kaldur asked.

"If I had my Z-drive, I would bet on it. But I don't, and I don't think he's alone."

Kaldur's mind flashed to the other presence he had felt just before the lift fell.

"The other figure." Ahri reaffirmed.

"Probably." Ekko agreed. "But I know for a fact it wasn't Warwick that was tossing those chemicals onto the lift."

"So, who's the other guy?" Ezreal asked as he ducked the nearest pipe before it clotheslined him.

"Normally I'd say it was that maniac Singed, but I didn't know he and Warwick knew each other, let alone worked together."

"That _thing_ works with people!?" Ezreal exclaimed.

Ekko shrugged. "Like I know. Singed occasionally does jobs to fund his psychotic experiments. Warwick just kills people. Criminals as of recently, but that hasn't stopped him before."

"We are also at a disadvantage." Ahri began.

Kaldur was about to ask how when another howl interrupted. It was getting louder.

"Why's that?" He asked, returning to his original thought.

"Zaun is narrow and crowded. Ezreal and myself rely on mobility to fight. Not mentioning Ekko's obvious breaking point."

"That just leaves me." Kaldur observed.

Ahri nodded. "However, you are far more valuable in an open setting where you can avoid damage that your shield cannot block."

Kaldur grunted at the truth of her words. "Fine. But it is still four on two. If we plan it right, we can rush them when we need to."

"Actually, it's three on four." Ezreal commented. "It wasn't the chemicals that destroyed the cable. Someone shot it when it was weak."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow as he attempted to climb the ladder, watching as Ezreal pulled Ahri through the small gap.

"How do you know that?"

"The force of when we got hit. Didn't feel like something that would just snap. Trust me, been through enough trap infested temples to know the feeling."

Kaldur made a sigh as he took the next ladder up and realized that he also felt more tired than he had when they started this venture.

"It also doesn't help that I poured a crap ton of my power into the hextech crystal." Kaldur commented.

"You mean the one in the timeline where I died from a drill to the chest?" Ekko remarked with a small smile.

"Hey! I kept you from dying so I call that a win."

"You don't hear me complaining."

Ezreal grunted. "So, let me get this straight. We are trapped in a mazework of iron tunnels, wounded and tired. Our heavy hitter is trapped on another floor, _all the while_ a group of bloodthirsty killers, who are perfectly healthy I might add, are trying to kill us."

"Pretty much." Ekko responded, holding the nearest hatch open as the party piled through into the remains of a laboratory.

Ezreal smiled. "I've been through worse."

"Maybe this will be a good story. One of your 'Tales of Ezreal.'" Kaldur remarked sarcastically.

Ezreal pondered the thought before his face lit up with excitement. "That's perfect! Just wait till the guild gets a lode of this!"

As Ahri rolled her eyes, Ekko shook his head. "You won't have much of a story if we don't survive this. Now shut up and get in the sump grate!"

In a rush, Ahri and Ezreal leapt through the small sewer opening in one of the steel walls, quickly followed by Ekko then Kaldur. Crawling on their hands and knees, the party slid towards the small green light at the end of the tunnel when Kaldur stopped at the sound of clanking metal that came from behind.

Turning his head around Kaldur almost jumped.

At the end of the tunnel, the way they had came, was the head of Warwick and his right arm clawing at the edge of the sewer drains in a vain attempt to reach the escaping party. Looking closer, Kaldur was shocked to see that Warwicks eyes were no longer red, but a heated metal orange matching the heated metal of his claws that reshaped the metal around.

"Pissed off wolf behind us!" Kaldur yelled, ushering Ekko to speed up.

"He can't get us in here." Ekko reassured him. "He's too big and he has to go all the way around the Tervian block in order to reach us."

Still glaring at Warwick, Kaldur felt a twinge of disbelief as he watched the crazed wolf tear apart the entrance. After a few moments, Kaldur let his breath out, not realizing he was holding it, when he saw Warwick disperse from the entrance. Continuing their clamber to the other side of the tunnel, Kaldur arrived in a crossroad of multiple alleyways. While each one went in four different directions, Kaldur could see, as he looked up, that there were plenty of other passageways above him crossing through opened pipeline archways in the walls.

"From where we are it's going to take a few hours to reach the nearest Hydraulic descender." Ezreal observed.

"How far did we fall?" Kaldur asked, confused.

"About five stories." Ekko judged. "But that's not what really makes the trip long."

"What does?"

"The Tervian block. It's almost completely separated from the rest of the Sump level. Only a few entrances were made to bustle in supplies."

"Should we make our way too it then?" Ahri asked, keeping her eyes peeled on the surroundings.

"If we did, we'd only make it half the way before Warwick caught up to us."

"We also don't know where the other two are." Kaldur pointed out.

"Well, if we all want to make it out alive we have to do something about that wolf and his group." Ezreal suggested.

"Take them out one at a time?" Kaldur suggested.

"We could …" Ekko pondered. "But we'd have to start with the other two. If we attacked Warwick first there is a chance that the others are with him; they'd be following him."

"Then we have to separate them." Ahri said. "And I believe the first should be the one we can feel."

Kaldur nodded in agreement.

"You still haven't told me how you two do that." Ezreal remarked, a slight frown on his face.

Ahri sighed. "Animals contain a magical presence within them compared to humans. Those of us who are born within, or use, magic can sense it. Vastayans are the same way, yet we learn to mask its scent. Humans, unless they use massive amounts, are hardly noticeable."

"And you can see them?" Ezreal asked, turning to Kaldur.

"Not really see as much as … feel I guess? I'm still a little new at this. Wasn't sure what it was till I got a chance to compare Ahri's presence with others that I knew what was going on."

"Then can you see …" Ezreal began.

Kaldur and Ahri both perked up, each holding up their hands in unison to keep Ezreal quiet. Once more feeling the itch at the edge of his mind, Kaldur turned his head to face the direction that the presence seemed to be. While it was weak, he could tell that the feeling, whatever it was, kept growing.

"That was fast." Kaldur whispered.

Ahri nodded. "Why is it large and jarring?"

Kaldur shrugged. "Don't know, but it's here whatever it is."

"Time to hide." Ekko directed, directing everyone to a separate location.

Burying themselves in separate corners, each person found a separate vantage point in the area. Ekko managed to find a few barrels near the first intersection that were nestled in an alcove to hide behind, keeping his view of the walkways. Kaldur decided to back against one of the piped walls that faced away from the direction of the presence, his head only slightly out a corner to watch. Ahri and Ezreal moved their way to the upper levels behind the walls that lined the upper floor, each able to keep an eye out over the small bridge ways that extended in front of them.

Making sure to watch the edge of the next turn, Kaldur frowned as the presence appeared around the corner a few minutes later.

There was nothing. While he was quite positive that the creature was there, he couldn't see anything in front of him. About too look up at Ahri, Kaldur froze as the small pitter patter of feet reached his ear in front of him. Looking at the hallway closer, Kaldur almost jumped as a large rat seemed to creep out of the shadows.

Sniffing the air, the rat was far larger than any he had ever seen; and it was wearing clothes. Hunched over, the rat-man stood quite shorted than Kaldur, but was definitely warped in proportions as his arms were the size of his legs; each skinny and covered in fur. Wearing a damp green and yellow trimmed vest-coat that contained a frayed collar around his neck, the creature also contained a plethora of shiny metallic objects on his person. With a pink nose, chipped sharp teeth on a long muzzle, and beady purple eyes that seemed to grow in size due to the globe like goggles he wore over them, it would have been hard to look away in horror if the stench that surrounded the creature hadn't been making that job easier for Kaldur. On the creatures back, the rat-man wore several round vials of some neon green liquid with a quiver on his back. In his right hand, the rat-man wielded the only object that didn't seem broken or used: a light crossbow with a small drum on the bottom end and a bolt that looked to have a breakable glass vial embedded within the tip.

Aside from the question about why this creature looked the way he did, Kaldur finally understood why it was he could sense him. The only question that remained on his mind was why he couldn't sense Warwick with the same intensity.

"Ooh! A snack for later!" The creature spoke, his voice light but rusty from use. Kneeling down the rat-man dug into the litter covered floor and picked up some form of moldy bread that Kaldur hadn't even bothered to notice. Setting it in a pouch, the creature took another step then stopped, sniffing the air.

"And a lack of stench."

Kaldur held his breath and prepped his magic to manifest; only to watch as the creature vanished from sight with a simple step. While Kaldur could still just as easily feel the large rat's presence, he was unsure just exactly where it was as the footsteps kept echoing off the walls.

"It's you!" Came a voice from behind him.

Kaldur jumped and tossed up a shield right behind him just in time for the first and second bolts to strike it, breaking and scattering a sharp splatter of venom.

"I did it again!" The rat complained. "Note to self: shoot _then_ talk."

Kaldur began to back up when a small pop followed by a thud sounded right behind him.

"Duck!" Ezreal shouted, proceeding the charge of power Kaldur felt behind him.

Letting go of the shield, and dropping to the floor, Kaldur watched as one of Ahri's orbs and a large yellow magical arc flung through the passageway damaging the pipes and walls as it went.

It was impressive to see the rat in action as he reacted to the instruction just as fast as Kaldur, and only letting the top of his ears get nicked by the ensuing energy. The only part he didn't see was the orb as it curved striking him square in the arm. While the large arc persisted through the tunnel and dying out as it went, Ahri's orb began to pull back towards her, but the large rodent seemed to notice this as well, and rolled out of the way, firing a bolt from his crossbow as he did.

"That stings!" He shouted.

Kaldur almost blinked but realized, with relief, that the bolt wasn't aimed at him. Forming his sword Kaldur tossed himself up and took a step forward to thrust at the rat with his left hand, keeping his right covering his chest with a small shield. As the blade flew forward, the rat dove backwards using his tail and free arm that seemed a little numb from the damage. Twisting his sword for and upward strike, Kaldur swung at the rat just as another bolt was let loose from the crossbow. Ducking the poison tipped dart, Kaldur followed through with a series of strikes in cross sections to keep the rodent on his toes, but the more he did so, the more the rat kept dodging.

"Stop swinging and let me hit you!" The rat shouted, his other arm now fully immobile from Ahri's work.

Kaldur, ignoring his attacker, kept up the flurry of blows trying to nick the rat on any part of his body that would keep him mobile. Thrusting forward once more, with magic enhancing his muscles, Kaldur dashed forward just as the rat threw his crossbow behind him and reached over onto his back revealing a glass orb filled with green liquid.

Realizing only too late that his guard was down with the strike, Kaldur poured everything into his shield as the vial cracked against it, spilling a massive amount of fuming acid onto the shield and the walls. Coughing as the steam and fumes mixed, Kaldur backed up to cover his eyes, blinking them repeatedly to make sure nothing lingered. By the time he was able to see, the large rodent was gone, his presence fading into the tunnel along with a grueling cackle.

Turning around, Kaldur walked up to his companions and gave them a disappointed shrug.

"Sorry, I let him get away."

Ezreal waved his hand in dismissal as Ahri focused in tearing apart damaged pieces of clothing that lingered on his shoulder.

"I'm more worried about my jacket. It was one of a kind too."

"Stop complaining." Ahri snapped, clearly irritated. "Be grateful the venom did not reach the wound."

"I take it one of the stray bolts hit your shoulder?" Kaldur asked, pretty sure of the answer.

"Yeah. Though it was only a scratch."

"Was I in the way of your flames?" Kaldur asked.

"No. The second bolt forced me to dodge, and then Ezreal began to panic. I felt you had it under control."

Kaldur cringed at the subtle hint of disappointment in her words, but shrugged it off as due to her minor annoyance at being played by a rat.

"Where's Ekko?"

"Over here." Ekko replied, leaning against the far wall with his sword-bat drawn.

"Didn't bother to help?" Ezreal asked, annoyance lining his voice as well.

"Yeah, good luck getting me to work in that tight hallway. Couldn't do anything without hitting Kaldur."

Kaldur shook his head. "Don't worry about it. The guy was tricky, seems to know this place almost better than you."

"Ha!" Ekko laughed. "Guy looks like an overgrown plague rat, I can see why."

"Do you know him?"

"Nope." Ekko shrugged. "I mean, you hear crazy stories about large plague rats all the time. He could be any one of them."

Ekko paused and then chuckled some more. "I had lost a pet rat once. Named him Mr. Tails."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Mr. Tails?"

"Not really a creative name. Had him for a month before I couldn't keep track of him."

"Interesting." Kaldur remarked with limited enthusiasm.

Making his way to the intersection, Kaldur took another step before he realized his legs were beginning to wobble. Bracing himself against the wall, he looked at Ahri to see her giving him a concerned look. He had used far too much energy over the last hour and had no chance to rest to recharge. With his fight against Urgot, going back in time, the collapse of the lift, and the encounter with the rat he was beginning to feel the effects of the drain.

"We need to keep moving." Ahri said as she picked up Ezreal.

"Agreed." Ezreal said.

"How ae we going to deal with our pursuers then?" Ekko asked. "If you haven't noticed, two of them can track us by scent alone."

"One of them is slightly injured." Kaldur observed. "And I doubt he will go after us four against one. He'll probably wait till his companions arrive, then attack. Plus, we will know where he is the entire time. I can partially feel Warwick so I can also tell if he is getting too close."

"And Singed?" Ezreal asked.

Ahri shook her head. "Nothing we can do about an opponent we know nothing about."

"We know he uses chemicals." Ezreal pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's it." Kaldur rebutted. "I'd rather get all of us out alive than try to hunt them down one by one, especially after that last fight. They clearly know this place better than us and can use it to their advantage."

Ekko took a deep breath. "Fine. But we don't stop for anything."

In agreement, the injured party began their assent to the upper floors of the Sump level, making great care to take the fastest, and least obvious direction there. With twists and turns on their pathway, it was a wonder how Ekko could navigate this labyrinth of tunnels and pipes that stretched on for thousands of feet in either direction. As Ekko had described it, certain area's of the Sump were closed off from the rest of the area, and thus it took people ages to trek around them unless they used the main pathways, of which the crew was avoiding.

Even though he was exhausted, Kaldur could still feel the presence drop in and out of range of his consciousness, and it was easy to see that it was following them, but at a long distance. Warwick, on the other hand, was a different story. While his energy was far lesser than that of the rat-man, it was obvious when he entered Kaldur's range. Making their way to the upper sanctions of the Tervian block, Kaldur and Ahri stopped just as the howl of the wolf reached their ears; the presence lingering on the edge of both of their minds.

"He's almost here." Kaldur said.

"He's not alone." Ahri said. "There is someone following behind him."

Ezreal froze, his face going a shade paler. "Wait, another creature?"

"No, human."

Ezreal was confused. "Wait, then how can you feel him?"

Kaldur turned to Ezreal, grabbed hold of his shoulders and spun him around, beckoning to keep moving. "It's just her. I can't do it either."

"Then …"

"Ezreal!" Ekko hissed. "Get a move on!"

Kaldur understood a little of Ezreal's disappointment as he too always asked questions, but even he had to admit that there was a time and a place for those. Rounding the next bend, Kaldur stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed a large tunnel that dropped straight down into a dark abyss appearing right in front of him. The tunnel was a work of smooth iron that rounded off like a cylinder till it hit a flat roof right above them, the only exit was a winding staircase that hugged the wall and led to a singular exit nearly three stories above them. Forcing himself to the rear of the party, while Ekko stayed on the front, the group began climbing the stairs. It was only a few moments, but Kaldur's attention ripped back towards the entrance as a familiar howl erupted into the cavern.

Warwick stood there.

Orange rage within the creatures eyes, Warwick bent down on all fours, his claws scraping the floor.

"RUN!" Ekko shouted.

As soon as he did, Ezreal teleported to the exit, leveling his gauntlet at Warwick while the rest of the group scrambled up the stairs. Feeling the energy build up, Kaldur watched as small blasts of magical energy erupted from Ezreals gauntlet, each one aimed at Warwick in rapid succession. As the bolts hit, Warwick growled in pain, parts of his flesh and fur searing off of his body, but otherwise he seemed unfazed by the development. Grunting with exhaustion, Ezreal kept up his barrage of blasts.

With a pounding of his legs, Warwick leapt up into the air higher than the crew had managed to climb on the stairs and landed behind them, just out of range of Kaldur's shield. Even though he was at a bad angle, Ezreal kept up the barrage, and was joined by Ahri's fires and an Orb that sailed towards the wolf. With a snarl as they struck him, Kaldur was shocked when he noticed Ahri's orb went forward through Warwick, then came back and only bounced off his back with a sizzling sound. Looking closer Kaldur finally noticed part of the reason he was so resilient: Warwicks flesh was repairing itself right before his eyes.

Raising a barrier, Kaldur turned his head around to yell at the others to keep going when a familiar sight caught his eye. In the air, if only minor, was a similar green hue to the chemicals that had barraged them on the lift.

"We've got …" Kaldur began, but was stopped as a massive decrease in his energy came from a blow to his shield. Shifting his gaze to Warwick, Kaldur watched as the creature bashed at his shield with unbridled violence. Feeling the weight of each blow and slash, Kaldur came to the realization that his shield was going to fall if he didn't do something.

His mind racing as the flurry of attacks directed themselves at Warwick, Kaldur tried to find a way around the problem; if he didn't everyone would die if they couldn't stop the beast. With the blows surrounding his shield, Kaldur's mind stopped being able to think straight, so instead he began to focus just on keeping the shield up.

Tiring … That was what he felt, but something wasn't right. This wasn't like before; before he felt dizzy and dazed. This time he felt a relaxing sensation begin to fill him. With his eyes widening, Kaldur realized that it had to be from the mist. He didn't know what to do, his strength and his consciousness were both going to fail, and each attack against the beast seemed to do little to deter its rage.

Gritting his teeth, Kaldur tried to build up whatever strength he had left when something happened that seemed to wake him slightly from the lull he was feeling. From his left, a pair of bronze metallic arms came straight towards his opponent, grabbing Warwick by the midsection. With a quick jolt, and what sounded like a yip, Warwick was torn from the staircase towards the entrance, dragging shredded railing with him as he went.

Spinning his head at what happened, Kaldur smiled as he saw a familiar robot standing in the entranceway.

"Took you long enough!" Ekko shouted, a smile lining his face.

"You were too far for me to reach in time." Blitzcrank commented as he attempted to subdue the raging wolf-man.

Taking a sigh of relief, Kaldur looked around to see that he was sitting on the stairway, it hadn't even occurred to him that he was too tired to stand. With a hazy head, Kaldur turned to Ahri.

"The gas, it's some sleep toxin."

Ahri nodded. "I was trying move you backwards to avoid it, but you were unable to move."

Kaldur shook his head in surprise, but steeled himself as his thoughts drifted to the exit.

"We need to get out of here."

Trying to stand up, Kaldur's gaze shifted back to Blitzcrank as the sound of electricity and scraping metal erupted from below.

"It seems this … creature is a tad unruly." Blitzcrank called as heated metal claws dug into his exoskeleton. Releasing Warwick for a moment, Blitzcrank began to charge a punch just as the wolf tackled the golem into the metallic ground, tearing it with the force of the blow and the claws that bore into it. With a mass of fists flying, and claws scrapping, Kaldur pushed himself to his feet in an attempt to help as the metal beneath the two combatants creaked.

The platform was about to break.

"Blitzcrank get out of there!" Ezreal shouted, still trying to get a shot off.

With the tussle that ensued, it was no wonder that Blitzcrank could not focus enough to say anything, even if he was a machine. As Blitzcrank pounded Warwick multiple times in the side, his steam back churning with the energy consumed, Warwick attempted to shred his chest off, keeping his other arm up to stop the second arm from reacting. On his back, Blitzcrank had difficulty to get up as the wolf was atop him, but each kept the other in place as the blows flew. With another shock of electricity that Warwick shrugged off, Blitzcrank reared his hand back once more as an opening presented itself and struck.

The railing broke sending the two hurtling to the ground.

With his free hand, Blitzcrank attempted to grasp the stable edge of the entrance, but just as his fingers grasped the edge, the heated claws of Warwick gripped the exposed wiring of his arm and tore clean through it, removing Blitzcrank of his arm.

The two fell into the abyss with the only sound being a shrieking howl.

"Blitz!" Ekko shouted in shock.

Kaldur reached over and grabbed Ekko weakly by the arm, attempting to keep him moving forward.

"He'll be fine." Kaldur said, not quite sure if he himself believed his own words. "When we are stronger and well rested we will go back for him. We can't do anything for him if we're dead."

Ekko gritted his teeth in seething anger and frustration. "If only it hadn't broke."

A pang of understanding and guilt washed over Kaldur as he remembered himself in very much a similar situation. Closing his eyes, Ekko took a breath and started his climb on the stairs, his anger still burning in his eyes. Following the rest of the crew at a slower pace, he was relieved when he saw a smiling Ezreal at the exit.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"Not the best time Ezreal." Kaldur said, tilting his head at Ekko.

Not catching the hint, Ezreal opened his mouth to speak when his person blipped into existence behind the party just as a stream of tan and green fluid shot through the exit door. Watching the slime fall down the tunnel, Kaldur raised an eyebrow as the mixture landed on the far rails, melting it in a vat of steam.

"That's a new one." Came a deep voice from the exit, followed by a flash of quick footsteps.

Reaching to his reserves of power, Kaldur was about to conjure his sword when a wave of exhaustion fell over him and he crumbled against the rails. Having a hard time looking, Kaldur watched as the rest of the group began to react the same way as he had, with Ezreal being the only one still on his feet, but obviously dazed by the mist that surrounded them.

As the steps came into the chamber, Kaldur looked up to see a thin but tall statured man walk onto the exit platform and look over the rails.

"Damn. And I brought everything to catch him this time."

Bald and thin skinned with age, the man stood at an easy six feet clothing that looked meant for a much larger person. Sporting enormous red and bronze metallic shoulder pads that hung loosely on his shoulders over a torn maroon shirt, the man contained a ragged pair of black slacks that tucked into boots on his calves that contained small metal spikes near the edges of his knees. With a belt holding an assortment of vials filled with green liquids, the man wore a spiked version of a riot shield on his left arm that was big enough just to cover the man's legs. On his back was a large glass bottle that extended from his waist to his head and was sealed to a large strap which held it over his shoulders. Inside the bottle was a violent green liquid that spurt out vats of toxic fumes every time a small dose of purple liquid dripped in from the plastic tube that wound from the entrance to the mans' hip. As the man turned his attention back to Kaldur and the crew, it became all too apparent from his cloth covered mouth and thin beady eyes they were dealing with someone who was willing to kill himself to get what he wanted.

"I guess you'll have to do then …" The man paused mid stride as Ezreal collapsed to the floor, his eyes venturing to Ahri.

"Oh, you'll do nicely."

Rage filled Kaldur as he noticed the motion, enough that he was able to stand with his arms supporting himself with the rails; his eyes glaring at the newcomer. Blinking at the motions of Kaldur, the man began to laugh; at first slow and deep, but faster and higher with every second until it became hysterical.

"Oh! What have I done to find such a catch of specimens!" He shrieked.

Kaldur wasn't entirely sure why he felt it, his mind felt too drowsy to begin to notice anything as the man stepped towards him, but just as he was beginning to drop to the floor a light breeze began to brush up against him. Keeping his eyes open, Kaldur watched in amazement as wind erupted within the cavern, circling like a tornado. At first the strange man did not seem to notice the change in the air, but as the wind built, he stopped in his tracks, only able to keep his arms up to stop himself from falling over as the sheer force directed itself at only him. With a final blow of the strange current, the odd man was flung over the side of the rail to the other side of the cylindrical cavern, landing on the steps near the bottom with a resounding thud.

Just as the stranger hit the floor, the room went silent, and Kaldur found that he was beginning to regain a sense of awareness; the mist had been blown away.

"Someone is explaining what just happened." Ezreal commented, getting up.

" _That_ was Singed." Ekko pointed out as he used his sword to keep his feet steady.

Kaldur looked over the edge to see the limp figure of the crazed mad man laying still. "Think he's dead?"

"Not really willing to go back down to find out." Ezreal said, making his way back to the top of the stairs.

"Who was it that created the wind?" Ahri asked.

" 'Who'?" Kaldur wondered at the phrasing.

"That wind was conjured by something akin to the spirit realm. I did not know this place had ones like that."

"I'm not one for superstition, but most Zaunites called her Janna." Ekko explained. "She's some guardian spirit that people say protects those in Zaun with wind or some such nonsense."

"Not one to believe?" Kaldur poked.

"I know she's real, just not one to call for her help."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow at the answer, but shrugged it off, settling that he could ask Ekko another time when they were in less present danger.

"How did he get ahead of us?" Ahri asked as they made their way through the singular tunnel that left the cavern behind them.

"At this point, I'm assuming most people have some back way though these areas that I don't know of." Ekko remarked bitterly. "A fact I am seriously going to fix."

Tired, the crew trudged along through the dismal tunnels no longer concerned about what they might encounter and more concerned with whether they would even make it. After a few bends, Kaldur began to notice that he was slipping farther and farther behind the rest, his legs weary and his eyes wanting to close. Standing next to the wall, Kaldur stopped.

Noticing the lack of footsteps behind her, Ahri stopped and turned to face Kaldur, her eyes filled will moments of worry. "Are you alright?"

Kaldur nodded. "Just tired."

Closing the distance, Ahri put her forehead against his and began to grab his shoulder when he backed off. "I thought you didn't want to do this unless you had to?"

"I believe I can control the amount. It's only small anyways, just enough to get you moving."

Begrudgingly, Kaldur stepped forward and put his forehead against hers. Just like before he felt the rush of energy enter himself, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a place far away from where they were currently. This place was far more exotic as it seemed blanketed in white petals on trees resembling a cherry blossom with a singular flower standing before his eyesight. His vision took a few steps forward and he felt his mouth open, beginning to ask a question, when the scene faded and he saw he was still in the dank tunnel underneath the depths of Zaun.

Backing away, Ahri made a tired smile. "There."

Kaldur was about to thank her when he noticed that she was having a hard-enough time standing on her own. How much energy had she used, and how much had she given him? As every question permeated in his mind, a sense of guilt and responsibility weighed on his mind.

"Just lean on me for a bit." Kaldur whispered.

"I am fine." She responded.

"Don't give me that. I know when you aren't doing well."

Ahri sighed and put the palm of her hand on his cheek. It felt cold. "We will get out of here. There is nothing you need to do."

Grabbing her hand with his, he lowered it and stared straight into her eyes. "Don't you trust me?" He asked.

Ahri froze for a moment, then shook her head slightly in defeat. "How can I say no to that?"

"If you two are done," Ekko commented. "I would like to reach the Descender before the end of this year."

Rolling his eyes, Kaldur braced Ahri and the pair met up with the others before the group carried on towards the upper levels. The last hour felt almost calming in the wake of everything that had happened, and after a slow crawl through the many ducks and passages that worked their way to the Rising Howl, the crew finally found their way to a familiar, yet crowded, part of the Sump Level.

"Finally!" Ezreal exclaimed as he marched up to the conductor standing aloft the loading bridge.

With the group right behind Ezreal, Kaldur began to take a step forward when a sharp pain erupted on his lower leg forcing him, and Ahri, to fall to the floor. Landing on his hands, Kaldur spun his head to notice a familiar rodent face peeking out of the now panicked group of people. With one working off hand reloading his crossbow, the large rat-man grinned as he leveled his weapon at Kaldur to fire once more.

Trying to raise a shield as he lay on the floor, Kaldur was almost stunned when a large clawed hand gripped the throat of the rodent and pulled him upwards off the floor with a proceeding growl.

Warwick had arrived, and he was still alive. No longer glowing a radiating orange, Warwick raised his other hand to scratch at the rodent when the loaded crossbow bolt loosed and punctured his chest forcing him to drop the rat towards the floor. The moment the rodents feet touched the floor he scattered, leaving the increasing chaos of the crowd and the targets within it. As the rat left the scene, Kaldur swallowed as the Warwicks red eyes turned towards him, and he started moving forward pulling out the bolt who's vial hadn't shattered yet.

Struggling to his feet, Kaldur conjured as much of a sword as he could muster and began to dash at the oncoming enemy when a flash of white tails launched itself atop the wolf. Ahri atop his back, nails acting as claws and muscles infused with whatever magic she had left, Warwick flung around like a bull attempting to grasp her with one of his hands in order to remove her from his person. Looking for an opening where he wouldn't hit Ahri, Kaldur watched as a stream of magical bolts erupted from Ezreals gauntlet to strike the creature.

Howling at the pain, Warwick reached up and grasped Ahri by one of her arms, and swung her off his shoulders towards Ezreals direction. Ezreal, in an attempt to avoid a flying Ahri, blinked to the other side of Warwick, but as soon as he appeared a large clawed hand scraped at Ezreals clothes, tossing him backwards to land headfirst onto the floor. Kaldur, feeling his rage build, slid underneath Warwick and slashed at his tendons in order to disrupt the magical flow to his feet. As he struck, Warwick swayed and looked down at his feet, surprised at the lack of blood coming from the source of pain. With his knees striking the floor, Warwick's head turned to see Ekko coming towards him, his disk weapon brandished. Using his arms, Warwick shoved off the ground into the air towards the teenager.

Ekko, keeping his eyes on the target, waited till Warwick was as high as he would go then launched his disk, letting it expand into the light blue ring as it struck the fur and muscle, tearing pieced of them with it. Warwick just ignored it, letting the device slice through him. Widening his arms, Warwick gripped Ekko on his chest as he tumbled to the ground, slamming the teenager into the floor in one fell swoop, and depriving Ekko of the breath he just taken. Standing up in an attempt to rush once more at Warwick, Kaldur watched Ekko's device return to him but slide harmlessly on the ground as the wolf attempted to stand up from a dazed Ekko. Training his eyes on Kaldur, Warwick began to walk towards him in a slow and steady fashion just as Kaldur took a stance.

Kaldur's sword dissipated, and he collapsed to his knees exhausted; the last of his energy disappearing with his last attack. Ahri hadn't given him much energy, which meant that she was in an even worse position than he was. Looking up, Kaldur watched in anger as a large fur covered hand grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and hoisted him up into the air at eye level to the large wolf. Taking a closer look at the wolf, Kaldur half expected all of the wounds they had inflicted to have been gone by now, but he was pleasantly surprised to see that the wounds were not healing nearly as fast as he had seen them do before. Blitzcrank had done much to this creature.

"Where is he!?" Warwick growled, his voice rough and harsh due to his mouths shape.

Kaldur was stunned, surprised that he hadn't killed him as much as at his ability to speak.

"Where is he!?" Warwick repeated.

"Who?" Kaldur asked, as he tried to grasp for breath.

"The man who made me! The mad man!" He howled.

Instantly Kaldur's mind shifted to Singed's body lying on the stairs in the cavern. "He's in that …. room." Kaldur chocked, trying to breath. "The one with the stairs."

"Where!?" Warwick raged, shaking Kaldur.

"The room where you fell!" Kaldur tried to explain, his mind having a hard time grasping what it looked like as he struggled to breathe.

Instantly, Kaldur dropped to the floor, landing hard on his back just as Warwick made a shrieking howl and dashed away from the now empty street. Trying to make sense of what happened, Kaldur spun around to see where his enemy was but the wolf-man had vanished leaving nothing but street filled with fog. His legs weak, Kaldur crawled over towards the entrance of the Hydraulic Descender where Ahri was struggling to move. Reaching her, Kaldur leaned up against the metal pillar marking the edge of the road as she did the same; the two breathing heavily with exhaustion and pain.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Nothing I have not endured before."

Looking around, he spotted Ekko kneeling on the floor as he stifled for air; the blow having done much damage to his chest.

"You alive Ekko?"

It took a bit, but Ekko managed to give Kaldur a swaying hand motion that probably meant he would live.

"Aren't you going to ask about me?" Came Ezreals voice as he sauntered over to the gathering of in pain individuals.

Kaldur laughed for a moment, then coughed and wished he hadn't. "Why would I worry about you?" He joked.

At first Ezreal frowned confused, then the joke finally kicked in and he smiled. "Well, not that _that_ adventure is over with, I would very much like to head home and take a bath."

While the idea of a bath was heaven to his mind, the moment Kaldur tried to move his body didn't seem to want to give way.

"We're not going anywhere for a few minutes." He commented, resting his head back against the post.

It took a while for the streets to return to normal, but once they did people went back to what they were doing as if nothing had happened. The conductor of the tram, quite grateful to be done with all the ruckus, decided that he would make one round of the Rising Howl before picking them up, which was fine with Kaldur as he did not want to move for at least the next ten minutes. As the crew sat in silence, it came as both a shock and a pleasant surprise when a familiar figure rounded the bend in clear view of the party.

"It appears my assistance was not required." Blitzcrank said, his body mangled with a missing arm as he observed the crew and their surroundings.

"Blitz!" Ekko called, his face beaming with relief and happiness. While the rest of the crew was glad to see their companion safe, if only a little worse for wear, no one was willing to stand up.

"I do believe I will require maintenance."

"Do what you have to big guy, we should be good for a bit. I'll call you if we need anything else."

With a small nod, Blitzcrank once again disappeared into the Zaun fog from view, on the way to wherever it was golem's would go. While Kaldur was still a little worried that the rat-man would once again return, he decided it best not to dwell on the thought as it would make little difference if the time ever came, and instead soaked himself in the few minutes of bliss he had before his ride came back. After a few more minutes passed, the familiar sound of the Hydraulic Descender reached Kaldur's ears and the crew was able to board without much hassle, despite their pains at getting up.

Seating himself near the edge with a window, Kaldur leaned his head against the cold of the glass and nearly closed his eyes when Ekko sat next to him.

"I'll look into that rumored man; let you know if I find where he is."

With all that had happened, Kaldur had almost forgotten the real reason he had embarked into the depths of Zaun. With no words coming to mind, he just nodded in response.

"And remember, if you ever need anything…"

"I won't hesitate to ask." Kaldur responded, a slight smile lining his mouth.

It was a good bit before the Descender reached the Entresol level, and when it did Ekko left the group with his chest held high and not much of a goodbye. By the time they reached the surface, it was already night; but despite the dark, Kaldur was just glad to see stars once more. The Rising Howl dropped them off a little farther south than their previous entrance, meaning it took a longer walk to Ezreal's estate than previous, but once the friendly glow lights and light blue furnishings came into view, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Well that was quite the trip." Ezreal commented, opening the front gate. "Good thing nothing happened to my face, I would be regretting that for months!"

"Ez, can you please take your ego to another world?" Kaldur asked, warranting a giggle from Ahri as they supported each other from falling.

"Why should they have all of this?" He responded, gesturing to all of him.

"Because we can't stand it." Kaldur remarked, rolling his eyes.

Ezreal grinned. "You mean you can't _handle_ it."

Ahri made a disgruntled groan and pushed past the two, leaving Kaldur's shoulder. Following her through the courtyard, the other two opened to door into the entrance hall where the ever so stern face of Jilan eyed them warily.

"Jilan! You would not believe what we did today." Ezreal greeted as the others wandered into the door.

"You can tell me all about it at another date Master Ezreal, but in the meantime, you have a guest."

Following Jilan's gesture, Kaldur was surprised to see a familiar figure sitting on the first few steps to the upper level. Wearing no shirt, the man's skin was that of a light violet decorated with a mass of runic tattoos covering his arms, chest, and even the crown of his bald head where each one seemed burned into the skin itself. On his back, the man wore a large scroll, about the size of a thin wooden log, in a position to be drawn from his left that was held in place by a leather strap surrounding the outer parchment with a belt that wrapped around his shoulder and crossed his chest. With his lower extremities covered in dark cloth tucked into sigil encrusted boots, the man wore a medium sized metallic belt that held up a red sash the fell down the middle, and a leather satchel that hung on his right hip. His face and body were a very thin completion, and as he stood up Kaldur could tell he was easily below six feet. With a frayed beard bound in the middle and mutton chops that swung out to the side, he bore no mustache that Kaldur could see. Looking up higher, Kaldur almost stopped in his observation as his eyes met up with the dark blue color of the mans, and they were looking directly at him.

"What took you so long, Ryze?" Ezreal commented, a smile on his face. "I was beginning to think you'd ventured all the way to Freljord."

Ryze didn't respond to Ezreals comment, and unlike the blond man, he wasn't smiling.


	18. A Dangerous Responsibility

Chapter 17: A Dangerous Responsibility

Kaldur was slow to react, and in his weakened state it should not have surprised him when the cage of magic energy surrounded him almost instantaneously; but it did. Reaching out, Kaldur's hand shot back with shock as his hand came in contact with one of the violent purple bars that shifted like electricity around him, each connecting to a ring of dark blue runes that hovered above his head. At first, Kaldur was confused as to the reason for the cage, but as his eyes fell upon the purple figure in the room, his confusion was replaced with anger.

"Ryze!" Ezreal shouted. "What are doing!?"

Ryze didn't say a word, but instead seemed to brace his body. In an instant, creeping across his skin, the runes on his body began to glow with a neon purple, each one emanating mists of magical power that could be seen with the naked eye until his own eyes began to glow with the same magical color. Raising his arms up, Ryze leveled them at a now fuming Kaldur.

Ahri stepped in front of Kaldur, her arms stretched out looking at Ryze.

Ryze lowered his arms just slightly. "I do not wish to kill you. Please, step aside."

Ahri didn't make a sound.

"Ryze! We agreed to meet up once one of us found the rune, you don't need to do this." Ezreal pleaded, readying his gauntlet.

"I will not make the same mistake again." Ryze said, his voice deep with sadness and determination. "He will become something far too dangerous."

Kaldur's mind was racing with possible outcomes. Each of them was too weak to face someone in their current state; Ryze could kill them all. Scratching his scar, Kaldur attempted to think of a way out of this situation, even as his rage built with every second he looked at the magical prison that entombed him.

"He's not like the other guy, Ryze!" Ezreal specified. "If he were then he would have turned a long time ago."

"I am taking no chances. Step aside."

Ahri still refused to move.

There was no hesitation in Ryze's eyes, and just as he raised his arms to unleash his building power, Ezreal placed his gauntlet up in the air to counter.

"I need you to put down the glowing lights Ryze!" Ezreal warned. "If he were so deadly, Piltover and Zaun would be a smoking crater by now. At least hear him out."

"I am not going to …" Ryze began, but his voice became a muffled blur as Kaldur's vision and hearing seemed to lose their focus.

"He's the one that brought you here." Came an empty voice.

"He's the one?" Kaldur responded, only, his mouth didn't move.

"Yes. He is the reason for your suffering. If it were not for him, you would not have struggled so."

"He has a point, Kaldur." Came the darker voice. "That man is the cause for your pain."

"What are you getting at?" Kaldur asked.

"Use your full power." The empty voice answered. "Show him that you are not bound to his decisions."

"But this time, use all of us." The darker voice added.

"Yes! Use us!" Came the voice of the child, loud and impatient.

"I thought you got weaker the weaker my body was?" Kaldur pointed out.

"Only partially true. Your emotions have another part to play as well."

"Feel your rage!" The barbarian voice boomed. "You are in a cage, much like the chains you wore. He, put you there!"

Kaldur began to feel his anger once more. It was unbridled; a hatred of where he stood, of not being able to do anything to change it. This was what it meant to hate, and he had felt it before, but could do nothing with it.

"That's it." Urged the faceless voice. "Use that anger, now build it up, and let it reach out to all corners of your power. Let it grab hold of all of us."

"Use that hatred! Use it all till there is nothing left but destruction in your wake!"

Kaldur's rage built, almost enough to where he could not think anymore, his only noticeable motion his hand scratching the place where the handprint had marking him. In his mind he remembered everything done to him: Gangplanks torture, his enslavement, the pain of returning to normal, being used and lied to, Ahri holding him as he cried …

Kaldur stopped. Many things had been down to him, both good and bad. Why should he destroy it all out of rage? Why should he hurt the good things that happened?

"No." Kaldur answered.

"No?" The empty voice mused.

"I don't want to destroy everything. I may be pissed, but I am still not going to use your power. Not yet anyway."

"Suit yourself, but once you die it is all over."

"I'll live." Kaldur responded, taking a mental breath. "I have to."

Kaldur opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them.

" …. Nothing but help since the day we arrived." Ahri was talking.

Ryze was no longer glowing his powerful hue, which meant his companions had managed to talk him down to some degree. While Ezreal had also lowed his own weapon, Ahri seemed to have taken a more defensive stance.

"His actions do not compare to the power that will unleash if he is allowed to roam. I will admit to his resistance to the call, but the danger is still far more …"

"HEY!" Kaldur shouted, interrupting the group and forcing everyone's eyes to shift his way.

"I am in the room you know." Kaldur could still feel the rage he had when he realized he had been caged. Dropping his arm from his chest he leaned forward.

"How about this: drop this stupid cage. I need a bath, some food, and a good night's sleep, and in the morning, we can talk. I am too weak right now to do anything to you, I hurt and am tired, plus I have a load of questions for you that will last until the end of time."

Ryze's face scrunched in thought.

"I have managed to last this long without blowing up the world. What is one more night going to do?"

"A night could mean the difference between this worlds destruction."

Kaldur groaned. "Look, I didn't ask for this. I just got it because you touched something. I am irritated as all get out and I would like it if we can find a way to deal with this that doesn't result in someone dying."

"What motivation would you have to keep your word?"

"Two." Kaldur held out a finger. "One: I don't want you killing my friend." He brought out the second. "Two: I just want to go home."

Ryze didn't move for a good long while as everyone stood with baited breath. When eternity seemed to pass in a matter of minutes, Ryze nodded his head slowly. "I can agree, for now."

Everyone took a sigh of relief.

Ryze waved his hand and the cage around Kaldur fluttered away in an array of mist that dissipated into the air. Walking away, Kaldur barely even looked at the rune marked man as he tumbled up the stairs towards the eastern hallway. With a few little pointers from Jilan, everyone scattered towards their separate abodes and prepared for the end of the night. Walking into his room, Kaldur noticed that a change in clothes was prepared as well as a towel and a small basket of what he could only assume was bath supplements. Stripping off his sweat soaked outfit, Kaldur wrapped the towel around himself and headed out towards the bathroom at the other end of the hall with his small basket in tow.

Twisting the bronze handle, Kaldur strode into the elaborately decorated room to find that he bath was already filled; the steam filling the empty spaces of the room. Mused that Jilan would have already prepped it, Kaldur placed his items on the nearest chair made of whicker, removed his towel and stepped into the warm water. Laying down, Kaldur looked up at the ceiling and noticed that it was covered in ornate diamonds of purple and murky white, each one making a large weaving pattern that lead to gold lined pillars that rested in eight different corners of the room shaping it like an octagon.

Letting his eyes rest on the purple diamonds, Kaldur's mind immediately went to the mage resting just a few doors down. Shooting up to a sitting position, irritated, Kaldur grabbed the nearest cloth, dipped it in the warm water and began to scrub off the sweat and grime. As he cleaned, his mind began to wander, first resting on his encounter at the door, to the dangers of Zaun, then to the familiar face of a madman. He began to scrub harder.

"You're going to make it worse." Came a friendly voice.

Spinning his head to the door in surprise, Kaldur came face to face with Ahri dressed in a fine silk red robe that draped over her figure, a towel and small basket in hand. Looking down, Kaldur realized that his hand was now covering a lightly reddened large scar on his chest. Pulling it away, Kaldur cleared his throat.

"I take it you prepared the bath?" He asked.

Ahri raised an eyebrow, but still nodded.

Reaching over he tried to grab the towel that was on the chair. "Sorry, I'll come back later."

Ahri set her basket down to the right and wandered over to the chair he was reaching at, moving it slightly farther out of reach. Kaldur stopped reaching and squinted in confusion. Reaching onto the tub, Ahri grabbed hold of the now loose cloth and moved behind Kaldur, his head following her. Grabbing a second chair, she rested it behind him and sat down.

"Turn around." She ordered, twirling her finger in a spinning motion to emphasize.

Scrunching his face, Kaldur shrugged and did as he was told, leaning forward just slightly as he pulled his legs up to his chest, the water shifting underneath. He almost bolted as the gentle sensation of cloth reached his skin, but as soon as it began to sway on his skin, his muscles began to relax and he stopped moving. With his eyes half closed in enjoyment, Kaldur almost forgot about what was going on when the silence kicked in.

"So ... What do you think of Ryze?" Kaldur asked out of a will to break the silence as much as out of curiosity.

"He is …" Ahri thought for a moment as she switched to the other shoulder. "Dedicated."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He has a goal, and one that does not seem to be compromised easily."

"You got all that out of an argument?"

"Much of an individual can be read by their first actions." She answered.

"Huh." Kaldur paused in thought, remembering the cage. "Sure, he's a real charmer."

Ahri made a sigh as the cloth began to swirl in the center of his back. "People are also not always what they seem."

"I know, I know. I just wish the guy would have spoken first before spells started flying everywhere." Kaldur looked back up at the ceiling, his irritation beginning to melt away.

"Think he has any answers?" He continued.

He couldn't see it, but Kaldur was sure Ahri was smiling. "You are the optimist, why don't you tell me?"

Kaldur couldn't answer. While he wanted nothing more to get his answers, and to leave for home, he couldn't help but feel that something bad might happen if he were to gain what he sought. Everything was uncertain at this point, and it didn't sit right within his mind.

Taking a breath, Kaldur's thoughts broke as Ahri removed the cloth, instead replacing the feeling with her bare hands on his shoulders. Closing his eyes, he leaned a little backwards as the feeling of pressure slowly circled into his muscles, making him realize how sore he actually was, and how much the use of magic tolled on his body. As the feeling continued, fading in and out of temperance, Kaldur slowly began to notice a bit of heat on the back of his neck.

It felt like breathing.

His eyes shoot open. Still not turning around, Kaldur began to feel his own body temperature rise as the feeling of air passing over his skin intensified. Questions began to flow through Kaldur's mind. Should he turn around? Is this actually happening? Is he putting too much thought into it?

Kaldur shook his head slightly, but the thoughts kept permeating through his consciousness. He didn't know what to do, all of his thoughts kept saying that this was a good thing, but something in the back of his mind resisted. This wasn't real. It was only a figment of Kaldur's imagination … a figment of _his_ manipulations.

Shrugging off the good feeling, Kaldur stood up, Ahri's hands retreating away, and stepped out of the tub. Reaching for the towel, he grasped it and flung it around his midsection; returning his attention to Ahri. Her eyes were full of … guilt? Pain? Disappointment? Kaldur blinked, unable to read them, and shook his head.

"Sorry. It felt nice, I … I just need to get some sleep. It's been a long day."

Ahri nodded, opening her mouth for a moment to say something, then losing it once more. Turning around, Kaldur left the room, dripping water on the floor as he went. Reaching his room, Kaldur quickly dried himself and stepping into bed, laying face first into the pillow hoping for this day to end.

The morning came in a sudden shift, and Kaldur found that he was laying prone in the soft bed not even having remembered fallen asleep. With the sun peering through the drapes, Kaldur stood up and rubbed his eyes, walking over to the clean pile of his clothes that lay on the end table for him. Reaching out, Kaldur looked into the corning and nearly jumped, straining to cover his revealed section.

"Miss Jilan! Didn't see you there." He remarked.

She didn't respond.

In the corner stood Jilan, the housekeeper, half covered by the shadow the drapes caused as the sun rose into the sky; on her face was a look of utter horror, one that was directed at him.

"Ma'am? Are you ok?"

She still didn't respond.

Pulling on a pair of undergarments, Kaldur moved a little closer to her, when the woman started blinking as if coming out of a daze. Nodding her head slightly, Jilan's gaze drifted to Kaldur and her calm exterior returned.

"Is there anything else I can get you, sir?" She asked with a slight curtsey.

Kaldur was confused. "Ah … no, no. I'm good. Are you ok?"

She raised a judgmental eyebrow. "Why would I not be?"

Kaldur blinked. "You were standing there. You seemed shocked at something."

The eyebrow lowered into a stern look. "Master Kaldur, if I were to be shocked it would not be at what you are insinuating."

Kaldur raised his hands up and shook his head, no matter how many times he had asked her to drop the 'master' intro, she still refused to do so.. "That's not what I was referring to. I was merely…"

"Breakfast is ready in the dining hall, Master Kaldur." She interrupted. "If you wish it to still be warm, might I suggest departing at once."

Jilan left the room with an abrupt slam on the door, leaving Kaldur alone with his thoughts. Gathering his clothes, Kaldur left the room not two minutes later and maneuvered to the dining hall. Opening the quarts and brass doors, Kaldur was greeted to the oddest staring contest he had ever seen. On a table meant for twelve or more people, Ezreal sat at the far end with Ahri in the middle of the right side and Ryze across from her. With a large assortment of fruits, breaded goods, and crisp meats, Kaldur was curious more as to why his two companions were staring directly at Ryze and less at the food before them; especially Ahri. Ryze, on the other hand, was slowly taking bites off of his plate which was filled with a simple orange fruit akin to a peach.

Taking a seat himself at the other end of the table, Kaldur paused to look once more at his companions, then dove into the procurement of food.

"Anyone mind passing me the strange meat that looks like bacon?" He asked, trying to alleviate the tension.

At first no one responded, then Ezreal, not taking his eyes off Ryze, tried to reach for the bacon meat, eventually sliding it two inches before stopping. Kaldur gave him a look.

"Seriously?"

Ezreal shrugged innocently, still refusing to take his eyes off of Ryze. "What? They were staring at each other when I came in, so I figured I would join. Give me a minute, I think I'm winning."

Kaldur almost chocked on the cinnamon roll he had just shoved in his mouth.

"Alright, both of you knock it off." Kaldur ordered as he beat his chest to make the roll go down easier.

Reluctantly, Ahri took her eyes away from Ryze and began to grab whatever it was she could get her hands on.

Ezreal raised his hands in the air. "Last one standing! Now, time for food."

Returning to his food, Kaldur began to slice off a bit of eggs when Ryze pushed his plate away and glanced at Kaldur.

"How many times have you heard the voice?" He asked.

Kaldur paused with the bite just about to enter his mouth, setting it down with a groan he looked at the purple magician and folded his hands.

"Voices." He specified. "And not counting a few lost memories … I stopped counting after a while."

Ryze looked at him with sinister eyes, his face remaining emotionless. "Tell me about them."

Shifting his gaze to the right, he noticed that Ezreal had stopped eating and was paying attention with the utmost curiosity. Ahri, on the other hand, kept her gaze focused on the plate of food in front of her.

"One is a faceless, empty voice. It seems the most arrogant out of the three, but that could just be me." Kaldur began, returning his attention to Ryze. "The second is rough, dark and volatile. Occasionally his personality will switch to being friendly as a tactic, but mostly he wishes to destroy everything. The final one is a small girl, always asking for her power to be used and is easily swayed by the other two. She's the only one who's power I accept."

Ryze paused for a moment, leaning his upper lip on his folded hands before he spoke.

"The child like persona is most likely the naturally magic that rests within the rune." Ryze explained. "The empty voice I can only assume is the power of the Void. The third voice however …" He trailed off.

"What?"

Ryze lowered his hands and glanced at Kaldur. "I am not sure, but a third personality does not bode well. I have never seen a world rune with as much chaos surrounding it as yours."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're a one of a kind!" Ezreal exclaimed in excitement.

Ryze shook his head. "I many ways, yes, the stone you bear is unique. But, that also means it may pose the most danger."

Kaldur swallowed. "Each of the powers seem to want to be used. What were to happen if I accept that power?"

Ryze gave Kaldur a heavy stare, one filled with sadness. "You will fall to the rune, and become something far more dangerous. You are lucky to have come this far with your will intact."

Kaldur thought for a moment. If Ryze had known that Kaldur's will had already been broken once, would he even consider continuing this conversation? "So, how would I remove it?"

"By dying." Came the immediate reply.

Everyone stopped moving.

Keeping Ryze's eyes within his, Kaldur took a breath. "Is there another way?"

Ryze shook his head. "Not to my knowledge."

Closing his eyes, Kaldur released the air out of his lungs. "What about a chance for me to go home?"

"Would you take a danger this powerful home, one that could destroy everything you know?" He asked.

"My world isn't like yours." Kaldur argued, his eyes opening. "Magic doesn't exist there, neither do world runes or anything else like that."

Ryze seemed to think about it, then shook his head. "Even if I knew of a way to return you to your world, that power could still effect it in ways I cannot comprehend; especially one as volatile as yours."

Kaldur's heart dropped. He had hoped that Ryze might be able to return him home but understood that it was still a vague chance at best; still it hurt to hear it.

"Then what am I to do?" Kaldur asked, frustration leaking out. "As far as I know, you have no knowledge on how to get me back, much less how I got here. And, it seems, that my only option is death at this point; and I would rather refrain from dying."

"Would you let the a thousand perish for the sake of one?" He queried.

"Would that one life save millions despite the thousand dying?" Kaldur shot back.

Ryze didn't respond, his gaze trained on Kaldur.

Kaldur took a relaxing breath, then looked back down at his plate. "Sorry. Of course, I wouldn't let a thousand die just for my own life. But at some point …" He turned back to Ryze. "At some point it just becomes a numbers game, and life is far more complicated than that."

Ryze leaned back in his chair, considering Kaldur's words. Ahri, on the other hand, was no longer looking at her plate, and instead was keeping her eyes fixed to Ryze, a worried expression crossing her face.

"There is a possibility." Ryze began. "But it would require you to follow me."

"What is it?" Ahri asked, breaking her silence.

Ryze turned to face Ahri. "Demacia contains what is known as the Petricite elixir…"

"You can't give that to him!" Ezreal interjected, standing up. "Do you know what the stuff does to people!?"

"I am well aware of the side effects." Ryze acknowledged, crossing his arms.

"He won't be himself after taking that stuff! Former mages go mad there!"

"It is either that, or a petricite prison; and who knows how long he would remain there."

Kaldur's heart skipped a beat.

"Those are my alternatives to his death." Ryze concluded.

"I thought you said you knew of no other means to remove the rune?" Ahri asked, leaning forward.

Kaldur gripped the table with his hands, shaking the thought of being chained from his mind.

"These methods will not remove it, only suppress the likelihood of him losing control."

"So, it's either die alone of old age, or die of insanity? Either way you're killing him." Ezreal analyzed.

Kaldur took a deep breath before he spoke. "For now, just make sure …"

There was a slight knock at the door interrupting them. As everyone turned to look at the dining hall entrance, Kaldur was surprised to see Jilan poking her head out, a fearful expression on her face.

"Master Ezreal, you have a guest in the main hall."

Ezreal raised an eyebrow. "Who in the world would be here this early in the morning?" He said as he moved over to the door, slipping through the crack and vanishing with Jilan.

Determined to wait for Ezreal to show back up, Kaldur managed to get a bit more of his breakfast, which was now cold, down his throat before the blond pretty boy walked into the room. Looking up, Kaldur noticed a disgruntled look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"How do I put this … Crazy Sheriffs are here, and they want to see you and Ryze."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow in confusion, then turned to Ahri. "I don't think I ever mentioned that I was staying with Ezreal. Did you mention anything?"

"No." Ahri remarked.

"My question is how she knew Ryze was here." Ezreal stated, peaking out a partially opened door.

"What did you say to them?" Kaldur asked.

"Nothing that I wouldn't normally say."

"That's not a comforting thought."

Ezreal raised his arms defensively. "What? All I said was that they were looking lovely today, then Vi threatened to punch me like she always does, then Cait asked for you and Ryze. I just said I'll be right back."

"Anything else?" Ahri poked.

"Honestly, I am just as surprised that I kept it that short. But something doesn't feel right."

Kaldur shrugged. "While I doubt it's a simple greeting, especially since Vi is here, I might as well figure out what they want."

He turned to Ryze. "What about you, they did ask for you?"

"I will remain. The less I am seen, the better."

Returning to the door, Kaldur followed Ezreal out of the door and into the lobby. Here stood Caitlyn and Vi in their usual attire, but each had their weapons drawn and running as they paced by the door.

"Cait! This is a surprise; how did you know I was even staying here?"

Caitlyn made a rueful smile. "I have ears everywhere Kaldur. I'm a sheriff."

"Well then you have a better leg than the police force from my home. So, what brings you two here?"

"Not good news, I'm afraid." Caitlyn sighed, taking in another breath as her eyes betrayed a hint of regret. "I hope you can forgive me for this."

A knot began to form in Kaldur's stomach and he began to build his power within him, just enough to call upon it in an instant, but not enough to show. "Forgive you for what?"

Caitlyn's face transformed from a charming look to a cool calculating demeanor in the blink of an eye. "Kaldur, with my authority as sheriff of Piltover, I hereby place you under arrest for the illegal possession of weaponized magic."

The moment the words left her mouth, a violet light erupted in the room, surrounding Caitlyn and Vi with a pair of cages that Ryze had used to trap Kaldur earlier the other day. Spinning his head around, Kaldur was just able to see the purple magician and Ahri appear behind him when one of Ryze's hands grasped hold of his shirt. There was a split second of silence before Ryze's body began to glow and a swirling vortex appeared below their feet.

Kaldur blinked.

Ahri, Ryze, Ezreal, and himself were standing in the middle of the bridge that separated the northern and southern ends of Piltover as it overlooked the sun gates to the east and the open horizon to the west. Stepping back a little, Kaldur was shocked.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Fun, right?" Ezreal smiled, taking his hand off of Ryze's shoulder. "Takes a bit getting used to. My own abilities are about the same, only I can't take people with me." He frowned. "Not for lack of trying."

"We need to move." Ryze began. "I took us as far as I could go, but I will need a moment for another, at least until we arrive into the middle of the northern city."

"How many times can you cast it?" Ahri asked, keeping her eyes trained onto the southern end of the bridge.

"As many times as I need to. My only inconvenience comes from ignorance in Piltover's layout."

"Then we better get going." Ezreal commented. "If where we landed is any indication, you put us a little more than a kilometer out. Northern Piltover is almost five times that size."

"The sheriffs department is in the middle there." Kaldur added, his mind finally starting to piece together what was happening. "If they have any form of fast communication, this is going to get real bad real quick."

With a nod, the group began to move quickly across the bridge to the other end, Ezreal in front followed by Ahri, and Ryze where Kaldur ran next to.

"Could we take a boat?" He asked.

Ezreal shook his head. "Good luck with that. The docks are tightened down tighter than a Shuriman temple. The wardens are always there making sure nothing bad happens."

"We must leave through the northern entrance." Ryze began. "If we can make it to the Noxian border, they will have no further reason to follow us."

"How the heck did they know about the rune?" Kaldur asked. "It's not like I have been advertising its presence at all. The use of my magic could come from any source."

"Someone is pulling strings." Ryze answered, his face scrunched in thought. "Someone with much influence."

Kaldur's mind immediately flashed to Ekko's recollection of the person starting rumors. Could he be the one? But why would someone with this much influence use rumors as a basis? Is it just one person or more?

With so many questions racing through his mind, Kaldur almost missed the turn down the alley that lead east towards the docks. Catching up, the group proceeded to take turn after turn in an attempt to make sure that no one could follow them as they encroached upon the center of the massive city.

A whistle sounded in the distance, followed by a loud series of shouts. Looking behind him, Kaldur's surprise heightened as he noticed a group of officers with some type of hextech gun began to follow them at high speeds.

"We've got company." He called.

Ezreal took a glance behind him then made a small curse. "That was a fast reaction time!" He noted.

"Lose them in the crowd!" Ahri called.

"I don't think it is that hard to see a purple skinned man and a fox lady wandering around!" Kaldur noted.

"Just enough to find some other alley to dive into." Ezreal said.

Tossing themselves into the unsuspecting crowd as they came upon the busy bazaar, the group scattered into the flux of people, trying to cause as little commotion as they could. While most people did not pay attention to Kaldur or Ezreal, Ryze and Ahri were given many a stare as they passed through. Upon reaching the other side, Kaldur lead the way through the nearest alleyway and dived behind a café which smelled of steamed coffee beans and sweets. Slowing down, Kaldur made sure that everyone made it around the bend, then he fell into the back; keeping his gaze shifting behind to see if the wardens had caught on to where they went.

Coming across another turn, Kaldur and the group entered a well-rounded street with a water fountain in the middle containing a cream-colored obelisk standing tall. Tracing the outer edge to the other side of the open street, Kaldur looked up as a reflection of something metal struck his face.

Rolling away at the sudden blade aiming for his arm, Kaldur scrambled to his feet and turned around to find a single individual landing gracefully of the stone walkway. Summoning his sword, Kaldur kept his face a calm exterior as the items he at first thought were blades were instead swords acting as legs for the woman in front of him. White hair tied up into two separate buns in the back of her head, a pale face with a thin complexion that looked like it could be pulled into separate parts, and eyes whose irises glowed a neon light blue all rested on this woman's head; and by happenstance was the most human of her parts. Her upper body was a mechanical wonder covered in cloth containing different shades of blues and greys in a V like pattern all surrounding the single Hexteh crystal that emanated in the center of her sternum. Her legs were the most obvious of her mechanical parts, wide at the hips region and shrinking to a fine line as they held her body up from the tips of the blades that made up her forelegs.

"Fire!" She shouted, her voice almost like a robotic echo, with an English twist.

Wondering who she was shouting at, Kaldur almost didn't get the shield up in time as blue bolts of hextech energy came straight at him from his left. Looking beyond the barrage, Kaldur noticed that there was a group of wardens in a line; accept these were far better armed than the ones he had seen before.

Ezreal, noticing the barrage, teleported to the roof right above them and started firing at the ground below the officers.

"Guild private wardens! This just got worse!"

Ahri, easily avoiding the blasts at her person, proceeded to close the gap between her and the wardens, letting go strikes if foxfires the took some of the heat off of Kaldur's shield. Ryze, however, refused to focus on the guards, and instead began to let loose a sea of violet sparks of magic that was aimed at the grey lady.

Moving his shield to block the bolts aimed at Ryze, Kaldur watched as the woman took off into the air by a stream of cables that launched from cylinders embedded into the sides of her thighs. Lifting up, she proceeded to avoid Ryze's blasts as she kept trying to close the distance. Clasping his hands together, Ryze slowly pulled them apart till a spark of energy appeared between the two of them. With a turn, his tattoos glowing harshly on his arms, Ryze tossed the spark at the woman, the energy exploding in the air where she was swaying.

The bionic woman, missing the explosion by a hair, flung out of the smoke in a whip and lifted herself in the air directly above the pair. Lifting her right leg in the air like a drop kick, the woman shot down to the ground at Ryze, forcing him to jump backwards to avoid the blow … and out of Kaldur's shield. Changing his attention towards the barrage, Ryze began to run away from the woman as he grabbed one of the energy bolts in the air, clenched his fist, and shot back a far more powerful burst at the ensuing group.

Just as the barrage veered its way towards an open Ryze, Kaldur dropped his own shield as he parried a strait thrust from the woman's other leg at his chest, moving him backwards. Standing straight, the woman looked at Kaldur and cocked her head to the side, her eyes now a bright orange.

"Pathetic. The object you hold may be a danger, but you certainly are not."

Kaldur smirked, readying his sword. "You haven't won yet."

The woman launched herself in the air, aiming her foot in an overhead swing. Kaldur stood his ground and parried the blow and slid to the left in an attempt to counter, but just as his blade touched her foot, the woman curved and shoved, causing Kaldur to move to his left and halting the course of his sword. Landing on the floor, the woman began to swing her legs in a flurry, forcing Kaldur on the defensive as he backed away.

Not at risk of the officers firing at him, Kaldur relaxed and focused on making sure that the womans blades didn't reach their mark. Most of her blows came from below, forcing Kaldur to keep his sword and attention on them, but she was flexible, and some came all to close to his head. Kaldur had not practiced at creating multiple objects at once, his limit being a sword and whatever size shield he could muster. Shields were simpler and easier, but as he kept trying to force a small one to block a blow, or give him an advantage over this woman, she seemed to notice the maneuver and found a way around it. Blocking the blows was difficult, and as time went, she seemed to be getting fast … or he was getting slower.

Taking another parry with his sword, Kaldur shifted his legs just slightly, forcing an opening in his defense. Pulling back her already outward leg, the woman sharply aimed for the opening. Diving to the right, Kaldur thrust at her midsection as the blow passed through air; but just as her blade sailed, she seemed to go with the flow, striking with her other leg at Kaldur in mid air and dodging his own strike.

Kaldur stopped for a split second, glad that he had conjured a shield just in time to stop himself from being caught in half. Twisting his sword, Kaldur swung it sideways at the woman's head, but she ducked and sprung out of the way on her hands, landing a small distance away. Taking a moment to look at the situation, Kaldur was surprised when he noticed that, even though his companions were easily dispatching the officers around the area, more seemed to arrive just as they fell.

"A fool's gambit, really?" The woman laughed, forcing Kaldur to return his attention to her. "Clever, but I have already seen it before."

Kaldur didn't know what to do. This woman was better than himself by far, and it looked as if she was now just toying with him. Then he looked down.

Her legs! They were attached to her body!

Kaldur smiled. "Oh, I'm not done yet."

The woman walked slowly around him to his left, trying to force his back to the wardens that were still dealing with his other three companions. Following her lead, Kaldur sidestepped to his left as well to keep in parallel, and just as they were a few feet away the woman swung. With her foot aimed at his chest, Kaldur backed away just slightly to stay out of her range, and attempted to parry, only with the sharp end facing hers. As her leg made contact, Kaldur shifted the blade as if he were striking, forcing it to pass right through, disrupting the magical flow of her body within.

As her leg sailed over, Kaldur noticed the slight change in her swing; it was slowed. Taking a step forward, Kaldur stabbed at her, his blade piecing the left edge of her ribs as she attempted to dodge. Screaming with pain, the woman rolled to the floor in confusion landing on her hands and knees. Quickly moving over to her, Kaldur raised his blade upwards to strike when the woman turned to face him.

Sheer terror and confusion marked her face. "How…?" She began, forcing Kaldur to hesitate.

She looked … human.

"I have not felt pain in …" She looked up at him once more, her eyes bright blue. "What are you?"

Kaldur was stunned, more confused at what she was than at her own question to him. But, just as fast as the fear had come, it was replaced with anger. The woman leaned to her left and swung at Kaldur's feet, forcing him off his balance as he cursed himself for hesitating. Tumbling forward, Kaldur landed square on the woman and the two rolled till his sword dissipated and he was caught above her attempting to prevent the blows her arms and legs were giving. Taking a strike to the head, Kaldur leaned forward to grab hold of her collar when his hand passed the hextech crystal embedded in her chest.

The magic connected with Kaldur in a wave, his mind understanding the object that was here. Kaldur's mind raced as he realized that this was not a manufactured hextech crystal he had come across before, it was an original one, and it was alive. Images in Kaldur's mind arose, revealing scenes from when he had encountered the shattered crystals from Ekko's device. They were almost identical, but Ekko's had been broken, which is why he couldn't understand it as he could this one. Kaldur could feel the crystal, and its own limits: the crystal was fallible, and could be easily destroyed as well as drained, taking it a much longer time to regrow if it ever reached its limit.

As the idea came to his head, Kaldur attempted to reach into the crystal and draw from its own energy.

Nothing happened, but it seemed that the woman had stopped striking.

Feeling no change in the crystal's energy, or his own, Kaldur wondered at why the woman had stopped, but the moment he began to withdraw his own energy, the woman regained her consciousness and began to strike at him further.

Immediately, the grey lady fell limp.

Connecting the dots, Kaldur began to pour a little of his energy into the crystal, its difference most likely the reason for the disconnect. Making sure that it was only a little he left, not knowing what a massive amount would do, Kaldur detached his energy from the crystal and recreated a sword in case things went south.

She didn't move.

Shooting up away from her, Kaldur turned his attention to the firefight that was occurring and realized that much of the force was down. Rushing up to the fight, his shield brandished, Kaldur looked around and noticed that their was more officers on their way, some even sporting a shiny brass and dark blue exo-suit.

"There are more coming!" Kaldur shouted, forcing his shield to block the entrance as the blasts of energy ricocheted off it.

There was a small pop beside him and he turned to see a distressed Ezreal. "We need to get out of here. I would rather not be labeled as a 'warden killer.'"

"You haven't killed anyone?" Kaldur asked surprise, he hadn't seen Ezreal this serious before.

Ezreal gave him a sour look. "I do live here, you know. And if I don't kill anyone I can get away with saying I was held hostage."

"Good luck convincing them of that!" Kaldur scoffed as he watched the exoskeletons pound on the shield.

"How could they resist a face that looks like this?" Ezreal smiled.

Kaldur shook his head, returning his thoughts to the situation.

"We need to split up." Kaldur murmured, trying to make the loud noises drown out his voice. "If they can follow one group, the other might be able to hide, and then we can regroup later."

"Good plan. But who is going to do what? They only want you and Ryze, I'd imagine if we split you two then they would split the force."

"Then I go with Ryze to draw their attention. You and Ahri get far enough away and lose yourselves. Ryze can teleport me out to an area he is familiar with, then we will try to hide until he is ready to teleport again. Once he is, we will make it to an area the two of us can teleport out of the city with. We'll meet up outside the city."

Returning his attention to Ahri and Ryze, Kaldur was surprised when they were making their way to Kaldur, all of the current wardens either unconscious or dead.

"We need to move now. Their making their way around." Ryze explained.

"I can hold it at a small distance, but we will have to book it when this thing drops."

Making sure to keep his voice low, Kaldur quickly explained the plan.

"Where do we want to meet?" Ezreal asked.

"Do you know the old grove at the base of the mountain?" Ryze asked.

"Yes. It's far enough away that it should work."

Ahri put a hand on Kaldur's shoulder as he watched most of the wardens disappear to circle around another section of the block, her eyes filled with worry.

"Be careful." She said.

Kaldur smiled. "Don't you trust me?"

With a small smile of her own, she backed up and nodded to Ezreal, the two of them taking off towards the northmost exit. Once they were out of site, Ryze began to back up towards the western exit, his eyes trained on the eastern side.

"They are coming."

Kaldur backed up as far as he could go and struggled to turn around, then with a nod to Ryze he dropped the shield and ran, his magic empowering his legs. With a grin of satisfaction, he realized that Ryze was easily keeping up. Taking off down the west street, Kaldur ducked as a few shots of magic flew over his head.

"How used to this are you?" Kaldur asked.

"Intimately."

Pushing themselves around the next corner, Kaldur could still hear the pounding steps of the men behind them drifting away. Zigzagging through the alleyways and streets, Kaldur was surprised to see less and less people as they went, till it looked as if everyone had abandoned the streets.

That wasn't a good sign.

"They are setting up blockades." Ryze commented.

"Where are they?" Kaldur asked, following the mage around the next bend.

"I do not know. We need to stop and …" Ryze paused as they wandered around the next corner onto a bigger street.

A line of wardens stood at the northern end of the street, some wearing exoskeletons while others had rifles leveled at the pair. Looking around, Kaldur noticed that the only way out of this part of the street was either south, or the way they came; and the southern end was filling with Wardens. Quickly the pair turned towards the alleyway when a familiar pink haired woman strode into view.

"You!" Vi shouted as she dashed towards them, her fist seeming to propel her forward.

Kaldur raised a shield to block the alleyway, but not before a flash of violet darted past and locked Vi in place with another cage.

"Stop doing that!" She shouted, bashing on the magical prison walls.

"We need to go." Ryze said, his eyes and tattoos glowing as a circle began to appear below their feet. But just as he said that, a barrage of magical bullets began to rain down on him, forcing Ryze to conjure a small round shield of his own to stop them from striking him. Stepping back a few paces, Ryze reached out to grab Kaldur when another blast of energy struck the floor below them, tossing Ryze back and Kaldur into his own shield.

"Are they trying to kill us!?" Kaldur called while he conjured another shield to block the slew of magical energy.

Suddenly the sound of cracking stone erupted to his right and Kaldur was faced to see a free Vi smashing her way through the building to get around his shield. Trying to extend his shield to the building wall, Kaldur was too late as Vi broke through the other end in a dash, a victorious smile on her face.

"Uh oh."

"You got that right!" Vi cried as she swung at Kaldur.

The blow was far faster than he thought it would be, and he just barely managed to dodge the first punch when a second one came straight at him from underneath. Shielding himself as quick as he could, the punch landed square in the middle of it causing a magical shockwave behind him that caused the air to leave his lungs. Vi, not even hesitating, punched one more time at his shield. Kaldur could feel the drain almost immediately.

This woman hit really hard.

Dropping back a little bit, Kaldur let his shield fade and summoned his sword, reasoning that if the two were to get into a battle of endurance, his shield was going to give out before Vi ran out of punches. Trying to back his way towards Ryze, Kaldur noticed that instead of an open walkway between the two of them, a train of wardens had maneuvered around him to cut them off from each other.

And they were focusing their power of Ryze.

"Better pay attention to fight in front of you, cupcake." Vi said as she dashed towards him, throwing a roundhouse his direction.

Ducking the blow, Kaldur swung at Vi from below but she quickly sauntered away out of his range. In a close combat fight, Kaldur had the advantage with range, but the moment one of those fists made contact it was all over. Backing up, Kaldur tried to keep his eyes on Vi when movement on the northern barricade caught his eye, and he noticed that the line of wardens was moving forward.

Backing away from another punch Vi threw his way, Kaldur began to hear laughing coming from the line of men. Sparing a glance, Kaldur noticed that a few of the men had sat down to watch the show while other kept their rifles trained on him. Others were not even holding rifles, but some odd object that contained an odd device with two hextech imbued circles and a chain in the middle.

Kaldur breathed in when he realized what they were: hand cuffs, and most likely ones that were built to stop a mage.

Kaldur's anger rose steadily. Dodging a few strikes from Vi, Kaldur's mind began to display images of a warm and damp room, dripping with water, and the sounds of chains filling his ears. With a slight itching sensation forming on his wrists, Kaldur started to scratch at it with his free hand, then it moved upwards till it reached the right side of his chest.

No longer thinking straight, Kaldur's anger swelled within him as his gaze shifted harshly to Vi's eyes.

Building up a mass of power in his other hand, Kaldur forced it outwards, letting his magic create his desire. When it stopped, Kaldur looked down only just to see the second sword that rested within his palm, the turquoise light flowing.

Vi smiled a bit in anticipation. "Well this just got interesting."

Kaldur no longer cared, he just wanted this to end. Dashing forward, Kaldur rounded about to avoid Vi's first punch and struck with his left sword as it her head. Vi, realizing the blow, raised her other arm to block the strike, a small light blue shield forming around her glove. The block didn't even phase Kaldur, and the moment his sword clashed against the glove, his second one snuck in from below and punctured her midsection.

Vi stopped dead in her tracks, a shocked look on her face.

Stepping back a bit, Kaldur took his other sword and lifted it upwards, making a smooth cutting motion from her hips to her head till the sword was free in the air.

Vi dropped to her knees, her eyes half closed and her breathing intensified. It was a shock she wasn't out cold, but Kaldur was so angry that he didn't care.

The laughing stopped.

Raising his eyes to the man with the hand cuffs, Kaldur dashed towards him. While blasts of energy erupted at him, Kaldur didn't seem to care as he avoided them, slashing his pair of blades at the first man who struggled to get up. With his blades running through the men in a flurry of motion, Kaldur began to lose himself in the motions as wardens began dropping to the floor left and right, unconscious.

As soon as he was done with the line, Kaldur's anger was seething, and he began to look for more people. Turning towards Ryze's direction, Kaldur sped up towards the wardens who were firing at a large domed shield in the center of their ring. Stabbing the first in the back, a few more few more fell before anyone realized what was going on. While their was a plethora of downed men on the ground from Ryze's efforts, it wasn't until the flurry of blades did the men begin to panic.

One man, in particular fell to the floor before Kaldur as he reached the edge of the buildings.

"Please, no!" The man cried, crawling away on his back.

Kaldur raised his sword, ready to strike.

"That's it." Came a darker voice. "Draw his blood. Taste victory. They won't be able to catch you now."

Kaldur smiled. "Yes, I shall be free." He hardened the blade, ready to bring it down.

Then, almost as if his a massive force was pushing inside his head, Kaldur's mind began to realize what he was doing. Lowering his sword, he shook his head.

"I can't. I …" He took in a breath. "I won't."

Looking up, Kaldur was surprised to see an equally as shocked Ryze starring at him; his shield parrying the few wardens who were still trying to catch him.

In a burst of pain, Kaldur's arms bound themselves to the sides of his body as a sharp force struck his back and surrounded him. Feeling as if hundreds of volts of electricity were flowing through him, Kaldur dropped to the floor with his face forced to the side.

"No!" Ryze shouted as he directed his point of fire to the side Kaldur could not see.

He was only able to get a few more shots off when a second barrage of fire forced him to create a shield around himself.

It was only a brief moment before Kaldur could feel his hands being pulled behind his back, clasped with a familiar sensation. As the shock that had filled his body died down, so too did the weapons fire till all that remained was silence.

"Give up now, Ryze." Came Caitlyns voice.

Realizing that she must have been the one that shot him in the back, Kaldur wondered what she must be thinking right now.

"I won't ask you again." She ordered.

Ryze barely moved, his shields still up, his glance occasionally falling upon Kaldur as he contemplated his predicament. Kaldur's hopes began to fall on Ryze, wanting him to use his teleportation to get himself out of this situation. If he did, Kaldur would be the only one to deal with whatever was to come.

Ryze dropped his shields.

Kaldur let out a breath of despair, closing his eyes. It was happening again. Someone else was going to be punished for his own weakness, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Kaldur snapped his eyes back open. "Don't do it!" He shouted out of desperation. "Don't worry about me! Get out of here!"

But his words fell upon deaf ears.

Ryze knelt to the floor, placing his hands atop his head, a solemn look in his eyes that would otherwise be an emotionless face.


	19. On the Horizon

Chapter 18: On the Horizon

Kaldur awoke, his eyes still closed as the stagnant air felt dry against his skin. He didn't want to open his eyes, knowing it was going to be the same scene he had viewed over and over again for the past few days. Shifting on the hard bench that was now his bed, Kaldur groaned as the metal mixed perticite bit into his wrists, forcing him to spin around and lay on his back. Taking in a deep breath, Kaldur opened his eyes and looked up at the grey plastered ceiling.

Yep, nothing had changed.

Sitting up, Kaldur looked around his empty cube of a cell until his eyes fell upon the simple sliding locked door that was a darker shade of iron and bronze mixed together. For the past three days, Kaldur had barely seen another soul aside from the two wardens who gave him his singular meal a day. They never spoke, and as a result Kaldur decided to call them Bob and Dave just to attempt at a conversation. From the beginning of his capture, no one even looked at Kaldur let alone spoke to him. Even Caitlyn remained stoic as she walked him to the Hall of Law that lied in the center of Northern Piltover. It was understandable, as Kaldur reasoned, he had taken out her partner; but it did feel to not be for that reason.

The only amusing part of that day, despite its obvious ramifications, was the wardens attempt to remove Ryze's scroll from his back. Each time they tried, a surge of power burst out and struck the nearest member, even their attempts at using petricite were to no avail. They threatened him to remove whatever binding he had conjured, but Ryze reasoned that he had already given up willingly and thus it was not a threat. The wardens did not agree, but just short of killing Ryze or Kaldur they had very little options to choose from.

From then on, the days proceeded in a pattern: wake up, try some physical training, contemplate existence, worry about Ahri and Ezreal, some more physical training, food, raging at the chains on his wrists, and then sleep.

Standing up, the chains from the pair of elaborate mechanical handcuffs clanging as they shifted from the wall, Kaldur began to do a few squats, mumbling any songs he could think of from his world till he lost track of how many he had done and how much time had passed. After a while he stopped, attempting to find a breath of fresh air away from the stench he had made over his time in here. At least they allowed him to use a restroom from time to time, but it seemed little good against his natural body odor.

Taking a seat on the cold stone bench, Kaldur was about to lean back when the steady patter of footsteps reached his ears. There was only a small window in his room, enough to light it from the lanterns that decorated the cellblocks hallways, but it was enough. Standing up, Kaldur strained his head to the little opening till the image of Dave burst into the window. Taking a few steps back, the clank of the key turning in the lock sounded and the door swung open with force revealing Dave, Bob, and two others at the entrance, Dave and the extra pair wielding a hextech rifle and a Bob a small box of some cloth.

"Bob! Dave! Brought some friends this time." Kaldur smiled bitterly. "What's the occasion?"

Walking in without uttering a word, the riflemen leveled their weapons at him while Bob finagled with the chains. After a small click the chains released themselves from the wall falling to the floor with a loud crash. Gripping Kaldur's right arm, Bob shoved him forward out of the door into the hallway.

"At least buy me dinner first." Kaldur joked as he stumbled into the well-lit walkway, spinning around wearing the same bitter smile.

"Come on." Bob said. "This way." He beckoned further down the hallway as he grabbed the edge of the chains.

"Holy cow! You can actually speak!" Kaldur said with false shock on his face.

The chains tugged him further down the hallway with a jolt.

Falling in behind Bob, Kaldur trudged along the singular patterned hallway for a few minutes till he came across a small open room that looked very much like a public locker room; minus the lockers. With a few stone benches in the corners, Kaldur was surprised to see brass pipes that led out of the walls which looked like shower heads, and a metal bar that looked like a rudimentary handle. Leading Kaldur in, Bob reached down and placed the box on the floor, which he now realized was filled with soap and a towel.

Looking up at Bob, Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "I don't think we're that familiar enough for you to be scrubbing me down."

"Shut up and clean yourself." Bob barked.

"Care to explain how I do that?" Kaldur asked, shaking his hands at the emphasis of the handcuffs.

Bob gave a warry look at Dave who just shrugged back. "We've got a few bells before he has to been in the court room."

Bob smiled sinisterly and turned back to Kaldur. "Use your imagination."

Kaldur sighed, realizing this was going to be an annoying long couple of hours. It took a bit for Kaldur to realize how he was going to do this, but once he found a work around, most of it involving turning his clothes inside out, the only problem he had was of the guards starring at him.

"Hey, my eyes are up here!" Kaldur barked, partially in jest.

At first, he thought they seemed to oblige his request, but over time, Kaldur noticed that their gaze came back occasionally to focus on his scars. Ignoring them as best he could, Kaldur finished up his shower, dried off, and returned to his clothes which still retained some of his earlier stench. Once he was done, the group of guards brought him back around through the hallways till they bypassed his cell and proceeded to the main hall.

"So …" One of the guards he didn't recognize began. "What … uh … what are those scars from?"

"Shut it." Dave snapped. "We're not supposed to talk to the weapon."

"You saw what he did!" The other unknown interjected.

"Yeah, all I saw was him knock out everyone." The first unknown retorted. "Not a single person hit by those swords died."

"So, he's not a warden killer. Oh well." The second cop said. "He's still a danger to everyone in this city."

Kaldur closed his eyes and shook his head.

"If you don't shut your mouths this instant there will be a reprimand in your futures!" Dave snapped.

"Give him a break. Jer …" Bob cleared his throat. "He's a rookie."

As they entered the main hall, the guards led him up the stairs towards the first wing that rested on the left. The corridor was far more elaborate than the cells he had been in, and while the bronze and quartz furnishings were nothing new to him, Kaldur was amazed at how they crossed the ceiling much like the inside of a cathedral. Doors lay on either side of him, some open to reveal many more wardens at desks or other strange devices, while others were closed as many of the wardens who saw him either wanted nothing to do with him, or they gave him treacherous stares.

Reaching a large set of double doors that were nearly three times his height, the guards pulled him over to a set of benches that rested right beside it and sat him down; each forming a perimeter around him.

Leaning his back against the wall, Kaldur watched as Bob disappeared with the box and the rest kept their attention passing between himself and the corridors.

"The scars are …" Kaldur began, trying to see if he could strike up the conversation once more. It was far more difficult than he thought.

"They're from someone who wanted my ability." He managed to say.

Dave and the second recruit didn't even bat an eye at the comment, but Kaldur could just see the eyes of sympathy show from the first.

"He thought he could use it to gain power." Kaldur continued, trying to keep the images out of his mind. "But I never gave it to him willingly."

Kaldur felt the slow burn of his anger as he thought of what one could do while using him here, his face turning darker. "And I won't give it up here."

The guards remained silent, but Kaldur could see the slight amount of worry beginning to show on their faces at the implications of what he had just said. Taking a breath, Kaldur looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm not going do anything stupid." Kaldur reassured, his mind not entirely sure if he believed his own statement.

He could feel the relief that came with the guards exhaled breath.

The hour dragged on for a bit even as Bob returned from his chore, the only sound being the small murmur of voices in the other rooms and the small thump of bootsteps as people came in and out of the adjoining doors. What cued in Kaldur to the end of the hour was the massive increase in footsteps that thundered throughout the hall. Looking up, he almost smiled when a familiar purple magician became visible through a sea of nearly a dozen armed men and women.

Kaldur was just about to make a snide remark when the look on Ryze's face stopped him, it was a somber cold stare that looked only forward. Kaldur rubbed the open skin of his wrists, beginning to feel a small itch that began to flow towards his chest.

"Keep them separated!" Came an order from one of the heavier set guards that surrounded Ryze.

As the order was passed, Kaldur's four wardens forced him to step back as the large double doors widened to allow entry, Ryze's crew walked inside first. Making sure that the violet skinned mage was secure in the room, Kaldur made his way inside. The court room was large with a circular base. On the left and right sides of the room lay multiple rows of chairs, each elevated above the one before it as well as bent into a partial curve outlining the room. In front of the lowest row stood a bronze decorated wooden rail that protected it from the center of the chamber. On the far curve just ahead of Kaldur, stood a massive stone outlay which ended from the wall to the outer edge of the seats, inside rested seven massive thrones that just overlooked the center circle in the room.

Moving towards the middle of the room, Kaldur was halted on the right of Ryze, his chains being locked on a steel hook that was embedded in the quarts flooring. Looking around, Kaldur could see that there were four of these in total, two in a line that pointed towards the center with a brass and quartzlike barricade, barely above Kaldur's knees, that rested in front of each pair of hooks.

The guards, once making sure that the prisoners were secure, scattered to various positions around the room. Kaldur immediately took note: two by him and Ryze, two by the door, two standing beside the thrones, and eight on a previously unseen walkway that rested just behind the upper level of chairs.

The pair sat in a moment of silence, and as Kaldur kept glancing over at Ryze all he could see was the same grim expression lining his face. After a few minutes, Kaldur began to hear, once more, the clatter of footsteps in the corridor and as he looked behind himself, he noticed that groups of people began to trickle into the room and take seats.

After a while, the room began to buzz with the sounds of hushed voices as people came in droves to fill the remaining spaces. Many were people Kaldur didn't recognize, but others made him grimace as he recognized their faces. On the upper floor, the grey lady with the bladed legs rested in a small chair behind a few taller gentlemen. While a few people were quick to avert their gaze once they met hers, it was all clear to Kaldur whom she was truly attempting to glare at: himself. In the back of the room on the lower seats by the exit sat a very cold faced Caitlyn and a grumpy looking Vi.

Shrugging off the feeling of everyone's eyes upon him, Kaldur returned his attention to the front as the room fell into silence. Looking up, Kaldur noticed that five of the seven thrones were now occupied, with the middle individual hold up his hand to call order to the dull roar. Three men and two women sat at the head of the chamber with the eldest, an older gentleman sporting circular spectacles and a red long coat, in the dead center. On the left two seats were the two women, one a young burnet with her hair in a bun and a frilly satin dress, while the other was in her early thirties with black hair and dressed in a thin cotton dress and skirt with simple pillowed out sleeves and a bow at the neckline. The men on the right were both in their late twenties to early thirties, one a thin complexion with a bright orange waistcoat and a white undershirt, and the other larger with a brown vest with a simple blue overcoat and a single augmented eye.

"Silence." Called the elderly man, making sure that the room remained silence. "The court is now commenced. All other public entrances are henceforth prohibited."

The large doors slammed closed in an instant, barring entry or exit from the court room. With a small click resonating throughout the room, the barricades, which had stood in front of both hooks in front of Ryze and Kaldur, swung upwards on a hinge through the ground to reveal two tables standing before them. Behind each hook, a seat sized cube lifted itself out of the quartz ground to reveal seating platforms for the two prisoners. Both of them took a seat.

Leaning forward a little, the center figure looked down at both Kaldur and Ryze with an inquisitive face.

"Court hearing: _Ryze versus the people of Piltover_." The man declared. "Clan heads Arvino, Ferros, Medarda, and Torek presiding. Clan Giopara as stand in. Myself, Jago Medarda, resting as court speaker."

Looking up at the back wall, Jago beckoned. "Bring forth the Proctorian."

Taking a glance backward, Kaldur noticed a thin statured man of nearly six and a half feet making his way towards the center of the room. With a tan and yellow waistcoat, cakey matching pants, and a full head of dirty blond hair, the man strode up to the center of the room and took a small bow towards the center stage before speaking and placing a stack of papers on Ryze's desk piece.

"Proctorian Terrance Holloran, of clan Holloran, presiding." The man declared as his voice, loud and full, echoed throughout the chamber.

"Good. Now we can get underway." Jago said, looking down at a stack of parchment before him. "Ryze, no familial name on record, no records in Piltover within the last few years. In essence, a foreigner."

"You are hereby charged with resisting arrest, manslaughter, second degree murder, and possession of illegal weaponized magic." Jago glanced up. "How do you plead?"

The Proctorian was the first to react, immediately turning towards Ryze and mumbling a few phrases out of Kaldurs ear shot. With a subtle shake of the head from Ryze, Terrance turned to address the five members with a surprised face.

"The accused pleads guilty."

Jago raised an eyebrow. "On which charges?"

"All of them."

The crowd took in a breath, aghast. Kaldur was just as surprised, but more so to wonder what Ryze's plan was.

Jago squinted his eyes and raised his head slightly. "I hope you understand the repercussions of your actions Ryze. This is a path you cannot go back from."

"I understand." Ryze answered.

Shrugging, the elder looked back down at his papers and continued reading. "Kaldur, no familial name either, only records of your presence in Piltover come from within the last two weeks. Another foreigner."

"You are hereby charged with resisting arrest, and possession of illegal weaponized magic. How do you plead?"

Kaldur looked over to the Proctorian, but the man made no move towards him, nor bothered to look his direction. Kaldur was not sure how to answer, Ryze had decided to take the fall for their actions, but this was the first time he had come to the realization that this was a problem. It was true, he was a foreigner, in any country he would ever end up in, but the question that now dawned on his mind was whether or not he would give up here and now.

"Guilty on the first charge, innocent on the second your honor." He answered, returning his gaze to the five individuals. Honesty, at least according to his own viewpoint seemed the best option.

Jago seemed to smile, if ever so slightly. "I am no royal young man, refrain from such unknown pleasantries for the time being."

Returning his attention to the center stage, the elder gentleman began to explain. "Since both of you are foreigners here, I am obliged to explain the due process of your current stature. Normally, you would have been processed and moved to a far more suitable location to await your prosecution under the Hall of Law, but since this is a special case, the council and all clan heads of state agree that this is a situation which requires immediate correction."

Taking a breath, he varied his gaze between Kaldur and Ryze. "The deliberation upon your sentence will take as long as necessary to procure all evidence of the actions in which you have been accused of. For now, we will recite all that has been witnessed, and obtained. Proctorian Holloran will be your councilor for these matters, whose sole purpose is to display all information forthwith at the time of the hearing."

He nodded towards Terrance. "Proctorian, you may proceed."

"Approximately four days prior to today," Terrance began. "Word had reached the Hall of Law that a dangerous weapon had been smuggled into the confines of Piltover with the intent of using it as a weapon against the people. That weapon was of magical orientation and was to be given to a magician of unknown origin. Not to presume, the sheriffs of the Hall embarked to find clues to this mysterious weapon and where it might be used. With multiple members sent into the city of Zaun, it was revealed that the weapon indeed did exist and was being used against citizens of Zaun."

Kaldur almost choked, his thoughts attempting to remember the instances where someone had been paying to close attention to him, but his mind could only remember the areas in which he was forced to fight for his life. He did, however, remember that he had never used his powers on anyone who had not attacked him before.

"With no jurisdiction in the Zaunite area," The Proctorian continued. "The advanced crew returned with their findings when it was revealed by both sheriffs Caitlyn and Vi that the weapon had arrived through the sun gates not some weeks prior to the event."

Reaching over to the table, Terrance took a few of the papers he had prepared and brought them up to read them.

"According to the board of the Horological Institute, any magical device brought into the confines of the city without passing through the Warfside Dock procedural checkouts is considered illegal and must be procured at once. Given the events that proceeded within Zaun, it was all too clear to Piltovers law enforcement that an illegal weaponized magical item had been smuggled within the city."

Kaldur kept retracing his steps through the city as Terrance kept recapping what he had believed the story to be, but much of it, at least from Kaldur's perspective, seemed slightly changed.

"Foreclosing the possibility that the magician was already within the city of Zaun, and having thus procured the weapon already, the department resorted to using its resources in hopes of finding any magician within the upper city itself, and thus, should the weapon return to the surface, would be apprehended."

Terrance smiled, almost in a charming way, shifting his gaze between the crowd and the court judges. "With luck on their side, the sheriffs were able to identify a man by the name of Ryze wandering through the city on the same day as the weapon having been used not even an hour prior, one who has been associated as a magician of note in many countries."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. It was curious to see how a man as secretive and dedicated to his mission as Ryze be famous. But as Kaldur thought about it more, it would seem he may not even be famous at all, but rather infamous or a legend considering his age; someone that could arrive in many books or texts that Piltover stored. It wouldn't be hard for someone to grab a particular piece of text and reveal it to the law.

"Keeping tabs on the potential receiver of the smuggled artifact," He continued with a wave of his arms "The brave members of the Hall of Law waited until their network was sure of the weapons return to the surface; lo and behold, hiding within the confines of one of the many Lymere estates, the one that happened to be occupied by a certain Ezreal."

Much of the room seemed to groan at the comment, and while Kaldur was more than willing to groan as well, he was too busy rolling his eyes at the obvious inflammation of Terrance's 'recap'. From here on out, the story just got worse, with the Proctorian recounting the heroic fight between the Sheriffs of Piltover and Ryze with his posse of delinquents. It was all too clear at this point they intended to paint Ryze as the villain of this story with Kaldur as nothing more than a weapon for his use, but no matter how he tried to shift the story, it seemed that the judges were having swaying opinions of the subject.

Jago was, by far, the least interested in the pomp and circumstance behind the story. Instead, he seemed all too focused on the cold hard details that created the story. The young burnet on the far left was the most interested in the story itself, her face contorting to whatever emotion Terrance spun as the tale was told. The second woman was the most emotionless, her eyes trained on all three people in the center rather than only one, while the man in brown attempted to do the same if not as well. The last person was by far the least interested in the subject, and seemed to only be here due to obligation rather than desire, every few sentences trying to stifle a yawn to little success.

Taking a slight bow as his story was finished, the Proctorian resumed his position in front of Ryze's desk.

"We shall now proceed with the …." Jago began, but just as he started, the double doors began to open.

Turning around, Kaldur was just about to see what the interruption was when a sharp pain emanated from his mind, threatening to split his skull in two. Kaldur grasped his head with his hands and held on for dear life, trying to stifle the cry of agony that rested in his throat.

"He's here." The empty voice echoed in his mind.

" _Who_?" Kaldur thought, gritting his teeth.

The voice refused to answer.

The pain felt unbearable, but just as he was about to break and cry in pain, it subsided to a dull throbbing at the back of his mind. Jumping up to see the one who started this, Kaldur narrowed his eyes at the singular man that stood in the open doorway. Dressed in a roughhewn purple cowl with a same colored face mask and hood, the man had a dessert dweller sleeveless shirt with baggy pants of the same dark blue shade with a light purple cloth draping from his hip. Jutting out from his midsection, the individual wore a sheathed Janbiya, a curved dagger, which angled towards his right hand. His arms wore thick steel bracers around his entire forearm with black gloves on his hands. His skin was a sickly grey that seemed to reflect the solid violet eyes which glowed under his hood, as a light of the same color shone slightly through the three holes on the hood just outside of his forehead.

The person, if he was even one, seemed to shift his gaze across the entirety of the room till his vision rested on Kaldur. The two stared at each other for a good moment when a sneaking suspicion flew over Kaldur: the man was smiling. Removing his gaze, the man drifted towards the upper levels of the courtroom till he found an unoccupied seat on the right side and took a seat.

Kaldur, slightly confused, ventured a look around the room to notice that everyone but Ryze had a slightly shocked look on their faces, as if everyone was looking at some unknown horror right in front of them. Kaldur gave Ryze a worried look, of which the man actually returned, though with less worry and more determination.

Startled by the doors slamming shut, everyone in the room began to shake their heads as if coming back from a daze, including Jago, who was now sifting through his papers trying to remember what he was doing prior.

"We shall now proceed. Will the first guilty party please rise." Ryze stood up from his position, no longer actively paying attention to the strange man who entered the court hearing.

"Proctorian, you may begin."

Terrance nodded and began. "Ryze, do you admit to entering the city in hopes of retrieving this weapon, this world rune?"

Kaldur took a sharp inhale of breath. He didn't know how, but they knew about the source of his abilities. When this first started he only suspected what they were after, they could have only seen what he had done in Zaun and taken measures to collect it, but now it was different. Kaldur began to scratch as his chest, if ever so slightly.

"I do." Ryze answered.

"What is it you hoped to accomplish with taking possession of this rune?"

"To hide it; lock it away where no one may use it."

"So, you wished to prevent the world from discovering such power. But, you alone would know where the rune was located. You could use that power for yourself."

Ryze didn't say anything at the remark.

Terrance continued. "From the good sheriffs' description of the events, you grabbed the weapon and disappeared to a further location in order to escape avoid arrest. Is this true?"

Ryze raised an eyebrow. "I do not recall being told I was under arrest by the young woman."

Terrance paused, then looked down at a few of his papers in confusion before a slight irritation crossed his face. "It is true that, during the initial confrontation, the sheriff did not specifically place you under arrest; but it is also true that she had placed the weapon under arrest and you had helped it escape."

Ryze nodded in affirmation.

"Concerning the weapon itself, there are very few records within our stores naming a weapon known as a world rune. Will you shed some light on the subject?"

Ryze, once again, nodded.

"What is the rune, and more specifically, what is its purpose?"

"The world rune is a great and ancient power." Ryze began, his voice deep and somber. "It is a manifestation of magic that exists in this world. One that can turn a bare field into a wonder of life … or burn the sky into oblivion."

"And how many of these world runes, would you say, exist in all of Runeterra?"

"Many."

"We understand that a world rune requires a person to wield its power." Terrance began again, his voice becoming slightly darker. "What happens to a person who obtains holds the rune?"

"The power is alive, in its own way. It will temp one with what they most desire, and when that person accepts, it will take them over, driving them to destruction."

Kaldur furrowed his brows in confusion, questioning why they needed to know such detailed information, but as soon as the question came so did the answer. They already knew that Kaldur had the world rune, which meant they would be able to make a case for why Kaldur should not hold it. Anger lining Kaldur's face, he glared at Terrance, only to be returned with a sly smile.

Terrance turned to the judges. "There are no further inquiries needed."

"You may take a seat, Ryze." Jago announced, returning his gaze to Kaldur. "Will the second guilty party please rise?"

Kaldur followed Ryze's example and stood up.

"Proctorian, you may begin."

"Heads of council, I humbly request that we not directly interact with the weapon. In light of the new evidence, it could be true that the young man whose body the world rune inhabits is corrupted by the power within."

Kaldur gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to beat Terrance upside the head.

Jago, narrowing his eyes passed his gaze between the Proctorian and Kaldur. "That may be Proctorian, but I will not undermine the sanctity of the law out of fear of the words of a young man."

Terrance's face contorted with frustration at Jago's instruction, causing him to fire a glance at the mysterious figure in the audience. Walking over to Kaldur, Terrance was just about to say something when Jago's face froze in utter fear, followed by the rest of the judges. After a quick shaking of his head, the elderly man raised his hand; it was shaking.

"However, in light of recent events, it might be prudent to wait. More information may become available."

Terrance smirked and backed away, proceeding to the dead center of the room.

"If I may, sir." Kaldur announced, his irritation clearly present.

"Silence!" Snapped Terrance.

Kaldur shook with rage. "Make me you pompous …!"

A loud echo of wood slamming rang through the room, and Kaldur looked up to see Jago wielding a gavel in his right hand.

"I will have order!" Jago roared, his voice hoarse with age.

"Forgive me." Terrance apologized, bowing slightly.

Kaldur, on the other hand was fuming.

"Young man, I understand your frustrations, but the more I inquire about the subject, the more sense it makes to hold your testimony till after we have determined your state of corruption." Jago explained.

"Then how do you plan to deal with it?" Kaldur asked, not letting Terrance get a word in edgewise. "The world rune has been inside me for as long as I have been in Runeterra. You couldn't find it when you searched me, where do you think it has been this entire time? How do you plan on removing it from me?"

The room was shocked with silence, Ryze the only one moving as his eyes closed to hide his disappointment.

"This world rune is a part of me, which makes it natural." Kaldur continued, his anger and frustration taking hold of his words. "You think it's an illegal weapon? Give me a break! I have more right to hold this thing than any of you!"

Taking a breath in, Kaldur looked straight into the eyes of Jago when his mistake finally struck him. Closing his eyes himself, Kaldur refused to look anymore at the audience who glared at him with judgment.

"I think the damage done to this young man's mind is all too clear." Terrance commented after a moment, a smugness coming from his voice.

There was a small mumbling from the tower of judges, apparently in deliberation before Jago spoke up. "I do believe you are right."

Finally opening his eyes, Kaldur looked up to see at least four of the judges giving him a cold and unforgiving stare, only the young woman on the far left shared a look of pity.

"In light of the weapon's reactions, there shall be no further inquiries to the guilt of the individual." Jago gave Kaldur a hard stare. "The weapon is to be treated as unstable until further notice."

Kaldur's heart sank. He knew his words were his only defense in this place, and now he had just wasted them at the wrong time and place, out of nothing but anger. Now he no longer had words to use that anyone would listen to.

The rest of the hearing was relatively short, and much or it Kaldur didn't care to listen to. After his outburst, the judges had declared that there was no more need to proceed as planned, and instead dictated a few final statements, with the verdict of their sentence being held tomorrow. After the public audience left the room, including the mysterious figure and all others Kaldur recognized, the prisoners were unbound from the flooring and dragged towards the lower levels of the Hall of Law. Ryze disappeared some moments later as his cell was far deeper into the building than Kaldur's, but as he was placed within his cell Kaldur finally began to notice that he had obtained four more guard members than he had before.

Chained to the wall, Kaldur once more waited for the door to slam closed, but the sound didn't come. Turning around, Kaldur watched through the open door as the handful of guards he could see were frozen in fear. Gritting his teeth, Kaldur's mind immediately jumped to the mysterious figure that had entered the court room. As the slow and methodical sound of footsteps reached his ears, Kaldur watched as the man in question wandered through the door to his cell.

"What are you doing to them?" Kaldur asked.

"Merely giving them what they desire." The being answered, his voice reverberating with an echo of emptiness.

"And what is it that they can desire which makes them look like _that_?" Kaldur asked, pointing the nearest guard.

The man didn't even bother to look as he shrugged. "What all living things desire: salvation from suffering."

"You call that salvation? The man looks terrified!"

"Allow me to introduce myself." He began, ignoring Kaldur's remark as he took a bow. "I am Malzahar, a servant of the abyss."

"The abyss?" Kaldur asked.

"You would know it as … the Void."

Kaldur immediately recognized the term, and it filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread and curiosity to follow. This was the same magic as one of the three bonded within him, and by far the most dominating of the three.

"What do you want?" He asked, his eyes continuously monitoring the guards who stood frozen.

"It is not what I want, Kaldur. It is what oblivion requires."

"It's the rune isn't it?" Kaldur asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Not just." Malzahar answered, slowly moving around Kaldur. "Ever wonder the cause of the power you wield? The voices you hear?"

Kaldur froze. He knew he had told others of the voices he heard, but he was quite sure that no one else could have known that. His mind flashed back to his time at Ezreal's mansion, every second he could remember, every instance.

Jilan.

She had been odd these last few days, and if her reactions were to account for anything, she was just as affected from Malzahar as these guards had been.

"All I am wondering is why you like poking around where you don't belong."

"Don't belong?" Malzahar queried, a tad bit amused. "The power within you is more than just mere magic; and it did not come that way on its own."

Kaldur backed away in understanding. "You changed the rune, back on the island! You're the one that brought me here!"

"You cannot change magic, Kaldur. You can only add to it." His glowing eyes leveled at Kaldur, almost seeming to peer within him. "And you have been given the greatest gift of all."

Kaldur shook his head, trying to process the information. "Which means you started the rumors…"

Malzahar nodded. "A savior must be born. It is only expected that he be born from another world."

Kaldur shook his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I am no savior, least of all to you."

"It is not me that needs saving, Kaldur."

"You still haven't answered my first question: what do you want from me? To be your savior? The world rune? Both? None of these things are stuff I am willing to give you, especially if you are the one who caused all this. If you're the one who sent the rumors then you are the one who sent that death squad after me, which leads me to believe that you don't actually want me, just what's in me."

"That was an error that has been corrected." Malzahar explained apologetically.

"An error!?" Kaldur yelled. "How is a Werewolf, a Rat man, and a psychopath chasing us through the city streets of Zaun an 'error'?"

Kaldur paused for a moment, trying to make sense of this. "I wasn't supposed to appear there, was I?"

He turned to Malzahar, his face mask blocking whatever expression he was now using; whatever it was, he was clearly not smiling.

"When Ryze touched that rune, I wasn't supposed to show up. You had other plans for the world rune, which is why you tried to cover it up by removing those who heard of the rumor."

Malzahar remained silent.

Kaldur took a step forward, his chains rattling on the floor, power flowing from his arms to the perticite that bound him. "Surprised you left them alive."

"To lead a dog to his end, one must first give him a scent. But you are no dog, are you, Kaldur?" Malzahar began to hover an inch above the floor, his face almost directly in Kaldurs. "You are far more."

"I am not, and will never be, your weapon. Especially if it means the end of everything." Kaldur claimed, gritting his teeth as the words seethed through his mouth.

Malzahar backed away, slowly, his face grinning ear to ear. "You are no weapon, Kaldur. You are a Messiah! And while you may not know it yet, your destiny is already carved in the immortal oblivion."

"We'll see about that." Kaldur said, calming himself down. "But you're not getting this from me willingly."

Malzahar backed away from Kaldur, turning around as he exited the cell. "Have you not said that before?" He spoke, just as his image faded around the corner.

Kaldur stopped mid stride, his face in complete shock much like the guards outside his cell. Whoever Malzahar was, he knew a lot more about Kaldur than he cared to tell anyone; and only three people knew of what he had said to Gangplank that day.

It was only a minute before the guards around his cell returned to even a modicum of their former selves, confused as to why they were standing with Kaldur's prison door wide open. When the door closed shut, Kaldur backed away from the door and sat down on the bench, questioning everything he had been told. One thing was for sure, he was not going to get much sleep tonight.

The morning passed like any other, and whilst he couldn't stop staring at the grey ceiling that surrounded him, Kaldur was quite sure that the time for his and Ryze's verdict was coming to a close. It wasn't long before Kaldur turned his head towards the door at the sound of encroaching footsteps. Taking a deep breath he stood up and faced the door. As it opened, the friendly face of Bob stepped into the room.

"It's time."

Kaldur nodded.

Removing his chain from the wall, Kaldur was brought out into the hallway where at least a dozen guards stood at the ready. With Bob in the front, Kaldur sauntered off towards the entrance of the Hall of Law and up the stairs to the same courtroom he had just seen the day before. Connected to the left side of the room stood Ryze, his face as grim as it had been yesterday. Clasping him to the right side of the inner circle, Kaldur watched as even more members of the law found positions in the room, similar to where he had seen them before. The room itself was already partially full with members attempting to watch the verdict, while at least two of the judges sat precariously on their thrones in quiet conversation.

Looking around, Kaldur recognized the same mechanical grey woman in the upper ring, while Malzahar sat in the back on the other side, his arms crossed in observation. Caitlyn and Vi were in their usual spot near the door, while others began to slowly pile in to the room. Shifting his gaze upwards, Kaldur laid his eyes on two cloaked figures that were seated opposite of one another. At first, Kaldur wondered if they were tools of Malzahar hidden in the crowd, but the longer he thought about it, the more he reasoned that the Void agent would most likely use his magic to hide any agents; he seemed arrogant enough.

He was about to take his eyes away from the figure when a flash of white caught his eye and he flung his gaze back. Just underneath the cloak was a patch of white fur, and it was swaying slightly like a tail. Biting his tongue to prevent himself from smiling, Kaldur looked straight at the covered face of Ahri.

The tail swung slightly faster before it was calmed down and stuffed farther under the cloak. Looking at the other cloaked figure, it was clear that the heavily gloved hand belonged to Ezreal, and while Kaldur was quite sure that the man was trying to stay as hidden as he could, he was also sure that it was killing Ezreal not to make some form of magnanimous entrance. As he passed a gaze to Ryze, the mage kept as straight and grim an appearance as he had before, not seemingly noticing the allies hidden within the increasing crowd.

It was only a few minutes before Jago and the rest of the judges entered the room, their looks as grim as the one Ryze wore before they took their seats.

"Silence." Jago ordered as he slammed the gavel down hard. "The court is now commenced. All other public entrances are henceforth prohibited."

"In the case _Ryze versus the people of Piltover_ , the first accused party has claimed guilt on all charges."

Standing up, Jago looked straight at Ryze. "On account of your foreign status, and with no home country as your origin, you are an interesting subject to deal with. The council thus finds it appropriate to imprison you until such time as we have determined the validity of your claims in dealing with these World Runes. At that juncture, you are to be exiled to an appropriate facility far from Piltover's borders."

The crowd began to applause, causing Kaldur to look open mouthed at them in disdain.

"The second accused party has claimed guilt on the first charge, innocence on the second."

Jago turned his stare towards Kaldur, but instead of a stern welcome as he had been expecting, the eyes reeked of pity and remorse. A knot began to form in Kaldur's stomach.

"You are also a foreigner with no known country as your origin; but it was not this that gave the council pause in your consideration. In light of the fact that you had no wish to harm any of the wardens in which had been sent for your capture, nor had you any cause to believe that the world rune in your possession was dangerous, we attempted to refrain from treating your person as corrupted from the power within you."

Jago took in a breath. "However, as we have also seen over these few days, we cannot take the risk that this weapon will consume you in time. If we may study from you what the rune is capable of, and how to prevent instances like yours from occurring, future individuals of your case need not fear being welcomed in Piltover; but this council cannot allow the danger to exist."

Jago stood up straight, almost closing his eyes as he gazed across the room. "You are to be executed forthwith, and the world rune extracted for safe keeping. The method of execution is a simple beheading, and as painless as we can make it."

Kaldur knew his verdict before it was even said. It was an interesting situation, being told the reason for it, but Kaldur knew that it was more to justify their actions than to make him feel any compassion for this decision. Inside he knew that this was their only option, he couldn't entirely blame them, Piltover was just doing what it believed was right to protect itself. Yet even so, his anger began to smolder within him. There was always another option to these situations, he had always believed so, and if they truly wanted to do the right thing, they would have found it.

The crowd, on the other hand, was aghast.

"It has to be a joke, right?" One woman in earshot said to the man next to her.

"It's been twenty years or more since an execution, let alone a public one." The man replied.

The judge on the far left covered her face, clearly trying to hide her tears. Apparently, it was not a unanimous decision. Kaldur was unsure of what to do, but he knew this for sure: he wasn't just going ley down and die.

As the guards began to readjust the binds on Kaldur and Ryze, the crowd began to gather around them, asking questions as the guards tried to keep them back. Looking around, Kaldur tried to catch a glimpse of Ahri or Ezreal, but to no avail. Being dragged out of the room, the pair was surrounded by a ring of guards each, totaling around two dozen men. As they left the court room, the crowd followed with their rant and rave of questions until, finally, their interests dispersed as they did.

Caitlyn and Vi traced the outer edges of the ring of wardens, their weapons drawn and ready. Following the guards down the stairs, Kaldur looked up to see two familiar cloaked figures in the lobby area near the main front doors. As they rounded the bend, Kaldur felt the ground beneath him vibrate, causing the guards to stop as the vibrations bust sporadically.

"It's Jinx!" Cried a voice by the entrance. Standing on his toes to get a clear view, Kaldur could see a young warden running through the turnstile doors. "It's Jinx, she gone and lit Bluewind court on fire!"

Vi was the first to react without hesitation, her anger plain as day on her face as she stormed out of the front doors, Caitlyn on her heels.

"Vi! Don't go after her alone!" Caitlyn cried.

Pointing at the remaining wardens in the room, she gave a deadly stare. "Two of you come with me, the rest of you get those prisoners to their cells. I am not having two incidents today."

Dashing out the door after her partner with two wardens right behind her, Caitlyn disappeared from view as wardens were running about in all of the confusion. As Bob tugged on Kaldur's chain he was about to start walking when a familiar popping sound erupted from in front of him.

"Hello everyone." Ezreal called as he struck Bob in the back of the neck with his gauntlet.

The guards aimed their weapons at him to open fire when an orb of energy sailed over their heads causing them to duck. Kaldur followed suit as a familiar woman dashed into the group of guards, striking them with fire.

Kaldur whistled. It was official, she was pissed.

Ryze dove to his side to body check one of the guards who was trying to train his weapon at Ahri, causing an electrical wave from touching his scroll. As the guard fell to the floor he quickly grabbed a set of keys and began to undo his own restraints. Kaldur, dodging the strike from the guard next to him pulled his chains closer to him and begun to swung it around, striking the first mans hands so he dropped his weapon. Whipping it closer, Kaldur grabbed the chain with both hands and slid behind the angry warden before he wrapped the chains around the mans neck. Holding it for a moment, and ducking the shot that the warden behind him was firing, Kaldur let go of the unconscious man and back kicked the person behind him in the stomach. As the man backed away, Kaldur spun around and struck the man square in the face with his elbow.

Ahri dashed to the back of the guards, causing them all to look at her before a massive wave of bliss passed over everyone, including Kaldur. Able to retain some semblance of consciousness, Kaldur watched as Ryze, now free from his chains, unleashed a small ball of energy from his hands which ricochet off the guards one by one till all of those in the rear were on the floor. As the field of emotion dropped, Kaldur regained his bearings enough to kick the last guards legs out from under him and grab the keys on their way down.

Unlocking the shackles around his hands, Kaldur rubbed his wrists and allowed for his magic to flow through him in a familiar pattern. Turning to Ahri, who was still fuming with anger, Kaldur pulled her close into a deep hug trying to hold his tears back.

"Took you long enough."

She smiled, her eyes returning to their brilliant yellow as she returned the hug. "Don't you trust me?"

"Hey, I helped!" Ezreal commented as he crossed his arms.

"Move, now!" Ryze called as he beckoned towards the front door, his gaze on the mass of wardens piling out into the room behind them.

Kaldur ducked the first shot as he released Ahri, then summoned a shield as the rest of the party ran through the double doors.

"We close enough Ryze?" Ezreal asked.

Ryze didn't answer as he grabbed hold of Kaldur by the arm, his tattoos and eyes glowing a bright violet color and a ring enclosing around the four. This time, Kaldur watched as the scenery around him shifted with the mass of purple magic fluttering away the details of the courtyard, and in no time at all the group was standing in front of a massive archway that lead from the edge of the city to a sprawling mountain scape filled with open fields. Below him was only a few blocks of small housing that lead from the archway to the end of the city.

Following Ryze, Ezreal, and Ahri, Kaldur heard sharp whistles sounding behind him as he spared a glance to see pillars of smoke rising from somewhere farther into the city.

"Anyone care to explain how we managed to get out of that alive?" Kaldur asked.

"By being amazing!" Ezreal joked. "But seriously, we were pretty cool if I do say so myself."

"Ever since the events we caused a few days ago, the wardens of Piltover have been very active. We could not just wander in and take you out." Ahri explained.

"So, we needed a distraction." Ezreal interrupted. "Gathered a few friends, and a few enemies, light a building on fire, and bingo! Instant distraction."

"Seems a little simple." Kaldur noted as they rounded the next bend.

"Eh, sometimes the best plan is when you don't make it too complicated. Though, I am a little surprised you don't know this, Ahri was supposed to get you a note."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow to Ahri.

She kept her gaze as cold as possible. "You had another visitor."

Kaldur gritted his teeth. "Malzahar. The man who caused all this."

Ryze stopped dead in his tracks, spinning his head to Kaldur in shock as the rest slowed down. "What was that name?"

"Malzahar." Kaldur answered, confused.

Ryze closed his eyes and took a breath before reopening them. "I have never met him personally, but from what I hear you are very lucky to have even made it this far."

"He said he was a servant of the Void." Kaldur posed. "Said I was some kind of savior."

Ryze grimaced, as if struck in the gut. "Then we may have another problem on our hands, but for now, we focus on leaving this place."

With a thousand and one questions on his mind, Kaldur shoved them away as quickly as they came and followed the rest of the crew towards the edge of the town. Coming across the edge of the city, the rest of the crew began to slow down as Ryze strode towards the corner of one of the last buildings in the area.

"Can't go anywhere without causing trouble, can you?" Came a familiar voice.

Looking around the corner, Kaldur smiled at the sight of Ekko leaning against the wall.

"Remember what I told you? Zaun look after their own."

Grabbing Ekko's hand in a shake, Kaldur couldn't help but grin. "Got you out here didn't it?"

"Eh, air is too thin up here. Just not my style." He remarked, pulling out a few small containers.

"These should get you through the next few miles without being seen, can't say for the rest though."

"So, you're who I have to thank for the distraction?" Kaldur asked as he began rummaging through the box. It was filled with old grey cloaks and some small metallic circles filled with some type of hexcrystal in the middle.

"When Ez crawled back into Zaun, he called me out and told me the situation. Luckily I knew a few people who would gladly have caused some trouble in the upper city without cost."

"This 'Jinx', I take it?"

"She and Vi have a history. Knew if she caused a problem, the whole city would be in a buzz trying to find her. She's a little on the crazy side, but still reliable … sometimes."

"Crazy?" Ezreal commented in disbelief. "That blue haired psychopath talks to her guns. Talks. To. Her. Guns!"

"Ok. Majorly crazy."

"What are these?" Ezreal asked as he grabbed one of the disks, instantly shirking off the conversation.

"A little something I made. They'll bend the light around you for a good half a bell, but after that their useless. Still a prototype, so you'll only get a small window."

Kaldur passed out the gear before he looked at Ekko. "I owe you for this one, if I ever end up here again."

Ekko smirked. "I'll hold you to it."

With that, Kaldur and the rest donned their cloaks, said goodbye, and meandered to the edge of the city. As they left the cobblestone ground and began to walk on the worn dirt road that exited the city, the crew began placing the devices on their chests. Ezreal went first to see if it worked, and everyone was surprised when his image vanished from thin air. Ahri and Ryze were the next to follow, leaving Kaldur one last look at the wonderous city.

Pulling up the device to his chest, Kaldur was about to put it on when a lone figure standing on one of the singular roofs caught his eye. At first he thought it was Ekko, but as he looked closer he began to recognize a very familiar top hat on top of their head.

Caitlyn.

At first Kaldur thought he should just disappear and wander away, but the longer he looked, the more he noticed that her rifle was not aimed at him, but rather sitting at her side. Lifting his hand up, Kaldur waved goodbye, and was surprised to see a similar, if halfhearted, action in return. Smiling, Kaldur placed the device on his chest, activated it, and hurried to catch up to where he believed Ahri and the rest had left towards.

As Kaldur wandered the dirt road, his expression dropped as his mind began to think upon everything that had happened these last few days. There were so many questions he had, and so much he wanted to know. Looking up at the mountains in front of him, Kaldur strode on, unaware of what was going to unfold, but knowing that his journey was far from over …

Kaldur and Ahri will return in book 2-

League of Legends: Shadows of Valoran

 **Authors Note:** Thank you everyone for supporting this! I hope you enjoyed the first book in the series as much as I enjoyed writing it. The beginning to the second book will be out soon so don't hold your breath too long. I am sorry this chapter was a little late, I just wanted to make sure I did it right, so thank you all for bearing with me.

I have a question for all of you: Do you want me to do major changes to the prologue as well as chapters 1 and 2? I realize that there is some room for major improvements on them but that is up to you if you want it. If I do these edits, I will post the original versions of the chapters as extras after this one so those who want the original content can enjoy it as well.

Thank you all again so much for supporting me here, it really means a lot that people like this story. I hope to see you all in future books!


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